Hitachi and Kaimana Supporting Moanalua Garden Park

Hitachi and Kaimana Ventures Sign Moanalua Garden Park Support Agreement that Includes "Hitachi Tree"

Hitachi, Ltd. today announced that it has signed an agreement with Kaimana Ventures Ltd. relating to the use of Moanalua Garden Park in O'ahu, Hawaii, the location of the monkey pod tree that has become so familiar to so many people through the "Hitachi Tree" series of TV commercials. Based on the agreement, Hitachi acquires exclusive video and photography rights to the park and agrees to use the Hitachi Tree as the symbol of the Hitachi Group.

The Hitachi Group will continue to deepen ties with its customers through advertising that stresses the importance of the image of familiarity, peace of mind and contribution to the environment projected by the Hitachi Tree. Kaimana Ventures also wishes the Moanalua Garden Park to remain open to the local community and tourists, and Hitachi will cooperate to preserve this charming park as a place of recreation and relaxation so familiar to the people of Hawaii.

In Japan, the Hitachi Tree has a widespread familiarity that crosses generations and geographical locations, forming a bond between Hitachi and its customers. Hitachi first started using the image of the large tree in Hitachi Tree commercials in 1973. In the commercials, the large tree was used to symbolize the way that the Hitachi Group, with its diverse range of businesses, used its technologies to contribute to society.

The tree itself first appeared in the second series of commercials in 1975, based on an agreement with the Damon Estate, the former owner of the Moanalua Garden Park. After using other kinds of tree in the third, fourth and fifth series of commercials, the sixth series, launched in 1984, saw a return to the original monkey pod tree, which continues to be used to this day, more than 20 years later. This long, unbroken series of advertisements has made the Hitachi Tree very familiar to a great many people, and has played a major role in generating the Hitachi Group image of trust and familiarity.

Kaimana Ventures, which purchased Moanalua Garden Park from the Damon Estate, wished to see the park remain open to the local community and tourists, and Hitachi fully concurred with that thinking, leading to the signing of this agreement relating to the use of the park. Looking to the future, Hitachi will make the tree familiar to even more people throughout the world as the symbol of the Hitachi Group, and will continue to work with Kaimana Ventures to preserve this charming Hawaiian place of recreation and relaxation that is the home of the Hitachi Tree - Hitachi.