Wide Format Imaging

Fujifilm has announced that Shigetaka Komori, president and CEO, FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star. The Order of the Rising Sun was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, and was created in 1875.

Komori is being recognized for his accomplishments in industry and in furthering culture through his leadership roles at Fujifilm, Japan's Broadcasting Company—NHK, and a range of industry and cultural organizations including the Photo-Sensitized Materials Manufacturers' Association, the Japan-German Society, and the Japan-Netherlands Society, among others. An award ceremony took place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

During his tenure at Fujifilm, Komori has been instrumental in advancing the principles of corporate social responsibility throughout the global Fujifilm Group. Particularly notable measures include transforming the type of energy used at Fujifilm's major production plants, moving away from oil toward natural gas, landfill gas, and wind energy, all of which are significantly reducing CO2.

Komori's most significant initiative at Fujifilm however, has been the thorough and large-scale reorganization of business operations in response to the rapid advance of digitalization and information technologies and the huge reduction in the demand for analogue photosensitive materials. Komori implemented a series of far-reaching growth measures leading to a dramatic transformation of the company's business structure through intensive investments in facilities, and research and development activities in new, high-growth business fields.

One of the most visible results of these efforts is the company's rapid and dominant leadership in the flat panel display materials business field. Komori has promoted a stable supply of protective films for polarizing plates, which are indispensable in the production of liquid crystal televisions and monitors for personal computers, and contributed to the widespread use of personal computers and television sets that use liquid crystal display monitors.