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 | TOTO Achieves a Number of Awards in 2005 — Various Awards in Various Fields at Home and Overseas —  |
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Specializing in plumbing-related fields and aiming to create enriched and comfortable lifestyles and culture, TOTO was greatly appreciated for its activities in 2005, winning a number of awards in various fields. Below is a list of the awards the Company received last year.
1. Universal Design Initiatives
| TOTO’s products are for “everyday” and “everyone.” In this light, TOTO implements research for the quality of people’s lives in order to offer products and environments that anyone can easily, safely and comfortably use in every kind of situation, contributing to life without inconvenience or discomfort. The Company established the nation’s largest Universal Design (UD) research center in February 2005, putting the entire Company to work together on the concept. UD is the idea to pursue user-friendliness for everyone from small children to adults, including barrier-free products for the elderly and the handicapped. Barrier-free is based on the concept of supporting elderly people who have physical limitations or who need nursing care, and also physically handicapped people. TOTO has been developing comfortable and user-friendly products for more people since the Company began to develop and introduce barrier-free products in the 1960s. Furthermore, since 1974 TOTO has been issuing the design manual “Facilities and Appliances for the Handicapped,” and has been revising it annually up to the present date. Now it is distributed to people in industries related to building construction under the name of “The Barrier-Free Book.” | |  Multipurpose Toilet Designed for comfortable use for everyone; particularly those using a wheelchair, with a baby and stroller, or with large pieces of luggage can utilize it without constraint. |
TOTO’s activities for the establishment of a barrier-free society are so highly regarded that the Company received the Prime Minister’s Award, the distinguished prize among Barrier-Free Promotion Contributor Awards that evaluate barrier-free-related facility improvement, product development and promotion activities. The Prime Minister’s Award is granted to organizations that accomplish such achievements and contributions.
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2.Ecology-Conscious Activities
(1) Eco-Products
Mahobin Bath was the first in the industry to use double-layer insulation. The temperature-preserving properties are so effective that after six hours the water temperature decreases by only two degrees Celsius, even in the middle of winter. The Mahobin Bath has won great popularity since its release in August 2004. By keeping bathwater warmer for a longer period of time, it is possible to comfortably soak in the bathtub longer, and bathwater reheating is reduced. Furthermore, bathwater will be kept suitably warm for washing laundry the next morning. In this light, Mahobin Bath has been regarded as a significantly eco-friendly product and won the Minister Prize of Economy, Trade and Industry of the 2004 Energy Conservation Grand Prize contest for excellent energy conservation equipment, and also the Nikkei Business Daily Award of the Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards for outstanding new products and services.
(1) Eco-Products
Mahobin Bath was the first in the industry to use double-layer insulation. The temperature-preserving properties are so effective that after six hours the water temperature decreases by only two degrees Celsius, even in the middle of winter. The Mahobin Bath has won great popularity since its release in August 2004. By keeping bathwater warmer for a longer period of time, it is possible to comfortably soak in the bathtub longer, and bathwater reheating is reduced. Furthermore, bathwater will be kept suitably warm for washing laundry the next morning. In this light, Mahobin Bath has been regarded as a significantly eco-friendly product and won the Minister Prize of Economy, Trade and Industry of the 2004 Energy Conservation Grand Prize contest for excellent energy conservation equipment, and also the Nikkei Business Daily Award of the Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards for outstanding new products and services.
(2) Energy Conservation Activities at Plants
TOTO promotes reduction of environmental impact, positioning environmental protection activities as a key issue of the TOTO Group overall. For instance, Nakatsu Plant No.2 manufactures ultra precision ceramic components and requires air-conditioning throughout the year. By utilizing heat waste from the cogeneration system as its energy resource, the plant remarkably succeeded in saving costs and energy as well as establishing a management system that monitors each section’s daily energy usage. This activity conducted by the plant was acknowledged as a success, and won the Prize of the Chairman of ECCJ in the Fiscal 2004 National Convention of Excellent Successful Cases in Energy Conservation, sponsored by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ).
TOTO promotes reduction of environmental impact, positioning environmental protection activities as a key issue of the TOTO Group overall. For instance, Nakatsu Plant No.2 manufactures ultra precision ceramic components and requires air-conditioning throughout the year. By utilizing heat waste from the cogeneration system as its energy resource, the plant remarkably succeeded in saving costs and energy as well as establishing a management system that monitors each section’s daily energy usage. This activity conducted by the plant was acknowledged as a success, and won the Prize of the Chairman of ECCJ in the Fiscal 2004 National Convention of Excellent Successful Cases in Energy Conservation, sponsored by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ).
(3) Packaging
The Paper Joint, the component packaging method for Washlet, simplifies opening and closing packages by rotating moving paper joints in and out. As it is made only from paper, there is no need to separate garbage. The Paper Joint was rewarded for its excellent packaging and technology with the Good Packaging, Appropriate Packaging Award in the Japan Packaging Contest 2005. Furthermore, it won the Asia Star Award along with prizewinners not only from Japan but also from all over Asia. | |  |
3. Design Ideas
TOTO’s new CUISIA modular kitchens were released in September 2005, and one-piece middle-silhouette toilets were introduced to the market in November 2005. Valued for their creative, sophisticated designs and beautifully balanced appearance, as well as for functionality, user-friendliness and UD, 12 products including the aforementioned items received 2005 Good Design Awards.
TOTO’s new CUISIA modular kitchens were released in September 2005, and one-piece middle-silhouette toilets were introduced to the market in November 2005. Valued for their creative, sophisticated designs and beautifully balanced appearance, as well as for functionality, user-friendliness and UD, 12 products including the aforementioned items received 2005 Good Design Awards.
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| Modular Kitchen CUISIA Harmonizing popular open-style kitchens that blend with room ambience, these kitchens are appreciated for their high-quality finish and simplification of complex features | One-Piece Middle-Silhouette Toilets Highly valued for its simple design and wooden seat, a user-friendly natural material |
4. Technical Research
TOTO engages in continuous research and development to provide high-quality products and services. In 2005, some of the results were favorably evaluated.
TOTO engages in continuous research and development to provide high-quality products and services. In 2005, some of the results were favorably evaluated.
(1) Photocatalyst technology
| Photocatalyst technology applied in exterior tiles and paints has environmentally friendly self-cleaning properties, allowing for less water to be used for washing exterior walls of buildings. The technology also has air-purification properties that can detoxify nitrogen oxides in exhaust emissions. With these distinguished properties, TOTO has been granted patent rights and is contributing to the spread this new technology, which was discovered in Japan. As a result, TOTO won the Minister Prize of Economy, Trade and Industry among the Monozukuri Nippon Grand Awards, which promote “Monozukuri” (manufacturing) for the growth of Japanese industry and culture. | |  A resident using photocatalyst exterior tiles on the first story and photocatalyst paint on the second story of their home |
(2) Large Ceramic Components
| With large LCD televisions gaining popularity, there is an increasing demand for exposure equipment to create larger LCD panels (for color filters and electrode patterns). From the Company’s development of molding and firing technology for sanitary ware, TOTO succeeded in manufacturing large ceramic components that are lighter than metal, highly rigid and accurate, thereby contributing to the spread of LCD televisions. In recognition of these results, TOTO received the Outstanding Performance Award from the Kyushu Industrial Technology Center for significant contributions to R&D and/or technology. | |  Airslide, exposure equipment used for LCD panel production |
5. Advertising and Public Relations
| TOTO’s newspaper advertisement for the Washlet won the Sub-Award of the 2004 Asahi Advertising Awards, as well as Dentsu Advertising Awards in 2004. In addition, a newspaper advertisement for Mahobin Bath received the Bronze Prize in the Newspaper Advertisement category (Block C) of the 45th Advertisement Beneficial to Consumers Contest, sponsored by the Japan Advertisers Association INC. | |  “Even Darwin would be surprised” newspaper ad | |  “Changing Japan” newspaper ad |
6. Awards Won Overseas
TOTO’s efforts toward Customer Satisfaction (CS), expressed in the promise to customers of greater-than-expected satisfaction, is conducted overseas as well as in Japan. In October 2005, the Company’s CS activities were recognized in Indonesia with The Best in Achieving Total Customer Satisfaction category of the Indonesian Customer Satisfaction Award (ICSA).
TOTO’s efforts toward Customer Satisfaction (CS), expressed in the promise to customers of greater-than-expected satisfaction, is conducted overseas as well as in Japan. In October 2005, the Company’s CS activities were recognized in Indonesia with The Best in Achieving Total Customer Satisfaction category of the Indonesian Customer Satisfaction Award (ICSA).
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