Form 6-K
Table of Contents

FORM 6-K

 


 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

 

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of June 2005

 

Commission File Number 1-8320

 


 

Hitachi, Ltd.

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 


 

6-6, Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8280, Japan

(Address of principal executive offices)

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F      X        Form 40-F              

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):             

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):             

 

Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

Yes                  No      X    

 

If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-            

 


 

 


Table of Contents

This report on Form 6-K contains the following:

 

1. Translation of the Notice of the 136th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

    Hitachi, Ltd.
    (Registrant)

Date: June 3, 2005

  By  

/s/ Takashi Hatchoji


        Takashi Hatchoji
        Senior Vice President and Executive Officer


Table of Contents

(Translation)

 

Hitachi, Ltd.

6-6, Marunouchi 1-chome

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

 

June 1, 2005

 

Notice of the 136th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders

 

Dear Shareholders:

 

You are cordially invited to attend the 136th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Hitachi, Ltd. (the “Company”) to be held as follows:

 

1. Date

  

        Friday, June 24, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.

2. Location

  

        Higashi-Ochanomizu Building

             29, Kanda-Awajicho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

 

3. Agenda

 

Reporting Matters

  (1) Report on the Business Report, the Statement of Operations and the Appropriation of Retained Earnings for the 136th Business Term (from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005) and the Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2005

 

  (2) Report on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2005, the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the 136th Business Term (from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005), and the results of the audit on the Consolidated Financial Statements by the Accounting Auditors and the Audit Committee

 

Matters to Be Resolved

 

Item No. 1

  

Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation

Item No. 2

  

Election of 14 Directors due to expiration of the term of office of all Directors

Item No. 3

  

Issuance of stock acquisition rights for the purpose of granting stock options

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

Etsuhiko Shoyama

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

The Business Report, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Operations, the Appropriation of Retained Earnings, the Transcripts of Audit Reports, the Consolidated Balance Sheet and the Consolidated Statement of Operations to be provided along with the Notice of the General Meeting of Shareholders, reference information regarding exercise of right to vote on resolutions and the substance of agenda Items No. 1 and 3 are included in the following pages. The Transcripts of Audit Reports on the Consolidated Financial Statements are also included in the following pages.

 

1


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Total number of voting rights  

3,293,616 (As of March 31, 2005)

 

Matters to Be Resolved

 

    Item No. 1 Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation

 

It is hereby proposed that the provision of the public notices be amended to introduce electronic public notices pursuant to the “Law to Amend Part of the Commercial Code, etc. for introducing Electronic Public Notice Systems” (2004 Law No. 87), which permits companies to post public notices on their respective web sites. It is also proposed that the Board of Directors elect a Board member to convene and preside over meetings of the Board of Directors, instead of electing one Director as a Chairman of the Board, and that a corporate purpose be added.

 

The substance of the proposition to be submitted by the Board of Directors with regard to the amendment to the Articles of Incorporation and the reasons therefor are set forth below.

 

2


Table of Contents

Currently in Force


    

Proposed Amendment (underlined)


    

Reason for Amendment


Article 2. (Corporate purpose)      Article 2. (Corporate purpose)      The Company intends to add the business set forth under the Health Care Insurance Law in the corporate purpose so that hospitals which the Company operates can enter the business.

The purpose of the Company shall be to carry on the following businesses:

 

    

The purpose of the Company shall be to carry on the following businesses:

 

    
    1. to 20. (omitted)      1. to 20. (omitted)     
    21.   Home health care support business under the Health Care Insurance Law and the operation of health care and nursing facilities.      21.   

Home health care service business, home health care support business and the operation of health care and nursing facilities under the Health Care Insurance Law.

 

    
    22.   Any and all businesses related to the foregoing items.      22.    Any and all businesses related to the foregoing items.     
Article 5. (Method of giving public notices)      Article 5. (Method of giving public notices)      The Company intends to introduce electronic public notices pursuant to the Commercial Code as amended, which permits electronic public notices.

The public notices of the Company shall be given by publication in the Mainichi Shimbun and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, both published in Tokyo.

    

The public notices of the Company shall be given by electronic public notices; provided, however, if the Company cannot give public notice by electronic public notices because of accidents or any other inevitable cause, the public notices shall be given by publication in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

 

    

Article 21. (Chairman of the Board)

 

By resolution of the Board of Directors, a Chairman of the Board shall be selected.

     Article 21. (Director to convene and preside over meetings of the Board of Directors)      The Company intends to substitute the provision of Director to convene and preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors for the provision of Chairman of the Board.
      

By resolution of the Board of Directors, a Director who convenes and presides over meetings of the Board of Directors shall be selected.

    

 

 

3


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    Item No. 2 Election of 14 Directors due to expiration of the term of office of all Directors

 

Due to expiration at the close of this Meeting of the term of office of all the present Directors, it is proposed that 14 Directors be elected. The Company does not adopt cumulative voting in the election of Directors in accordance with the provision of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company.

 

All nominees listed below have agreed to take office as Directors assuming that they are elected at this Meeting.

 

No.


  

Name

(Date of Birth)


  

Principal Occupation


  

Brief Biography


   Share
Ownership


   Conflict
of
Interest


1

  

Etsuhiko Shoyama

(Mar. 9, 1936)

   Representative Executive Officer
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director,
Hitachi, Ltd.
   4/1959    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    shares     
         6/1991    Director    108,000    None
         6/1993    Executive Managing Director      
         6/1995    Senior Executive Managing Director      
         6/1997    Executive Vice-President and Representative Director      
         4/1999    President and Representative Director      
         6/2003    Representative Executive Officer, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director      

2

  

Yoshiki Yagi

(Feb. 27, 1938)

   Director, Hitachi, Ltd.
(Standing member of Audit Committee)
   4/1960    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    102,000    None
         6/1991    Director      
         6/1993    Executive Managing Director      
         6/1997    Senior Executive Managing Director      
         4/1999    Executive Vice President and Representative Director      
         6/2003    Representative Executive Officer, Executive Vice President, Executive Officer and Director      
         4/2004    Director      

3

  

Kotaro Muneoka

(Oct. 30, 1940)

   Director, Hitachi, Ltd.
(Standing member of Audit Committee)
   4/1964    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    58,000    None
         4/1999    Senior Vice President and Director      
         4/2001    Director      
         6/2001    Corporate Auditor      
         6/2003    Director      

4

  

Takashi Miyoshi

(Sep. 25, 1947)

   Senior Vice President, Executive Officer and Director, Hitachi, Ltd.    4/1970    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    31,000    None
         4/2003    General Manager, Finance      
         6/2003    Executive Officer      
         4/2004    Senior Vice President and Executive Officer      
         6/2004    Senior Vice President, Executive Officer and Director      

5

  

Ginko Sato

(Jul. 6, 1934)

  

Honorary President, Japan Association for the Advancement of Working Women

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1958    Joined Ministry of Labour (currently Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)    26,000    None
         6/1985    Ministerial Councillor, Ministry of Labour      
         1/1986    Director-General, Women’s Bureau, Ministry of Labour      
         7/1990    Assistant Minister of Labour      
         10/1991    Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Kenya      
         7/1995    Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission      
         7/1998    Chairperson, Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission      
         8/2001    President, Japan Association for the Advancement of Working Women      
         6/2003    Director, Hitachi, Ltd.      
         4/2005    Honorary President, Japan Association for the Advancement of Working Women      

 

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No.


  

Name

(Date of Birth)


  

Principal Occupation


  

Brief Biography


   Share
Ownership


  

Conflict

of

Interest


6   

Hiromichi Seya

(Oct. 7, 1930)

  

Senior Corporate Advisor, Asahi Glass Company, Limited (“Asahi Glass”)

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1954    Joined Asahi Glass    shares     
         3/1985    Director    9,000    None
         3/1987    Managing Director      
         3/1988   

Representative Director

Executive Vice President

     
         3/1990   

Representative Director

Senior Executive Vice President

     
         3/1992   

Representative Director

President

     
         6/1998   

Representative Director

Chairman & CEO

     
         6/2002   

Representative Director

Chairman of the Board

     
         6/2003    Director, Hitachi, Ltd.      
         3/2004   

Senior Corporate Advisor, Asahi Glass

 

     
7   

Akira Chihaya

(Mar. 6, 1935)

  

Representative Director and Chairman of the Board, NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION (“NSC”) Representative Director and President, Tekko Kaikan Co., Ltd.

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1957    Joined Yawata Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (currently NSC)    4,000    Note (1)
         6/1987    Director      
         6/1991    Managing Director      
         6/1995    Representative Director and Executive Vice President      
         4/1998    Representative Director and President      
         4/2003    Representative Director and Chairman of the Board      
         6/2003   

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

 

     
8   

Toshiro Nishimura

(Apr. 10, 1933)

  

Attorney at Law

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1961    Member of the First Tokyo Bar Association    20,000    None
         5/1966    Senior Partner of Nishimura & Partners      
         6/2003    Director, Hitachi, Ltd.      
         1/2004   

Founder, Senior Counsel, Nishimura & Partners

 

     
9   

Isao Uchigasaki

(Jan. 2, 1939)

  

Chairman of the Board, Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. (“Hitachi Chemical”)

 

Hitachi Group Executive Officer and Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1962    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    12,000    None
         4/1963    Joined Hitachi Chemical      
         6/1991    Board Director      
         6/1993    Executive Managing Director      
         6/1997    President and Representative Director      
         4/2003    Chairman of the Board and Representative Director      
         6/2003    Chairman of the Board      
         4/2004    Hitachi Group Executive Officer, Hitachi, Ltd.      
         6/2004   

Hitachi Group Executive Officer and Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

 

     
10   

Takashi Kawamura

(Dec. 19, 1939)

  

Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (“Hitachi Software Engineering”)

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1962    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    67,000    Note (2)
         6/1995    Director      
         6/1997    Executive Managing Director      
         4/1999    Executive Vice President and Representative Director      
         4/2003    Director      
         6/2003    Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi Software Engineering      

 

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Table of Contents

No.


  

Name

(Date of Birth)


  

Principal Occupation


  

Brief Biography


   Share
Ownership


  

Conflict

of

Interest


 

11

  

Yoshiro Kuwata

(Sep. 1, 1936)

  

Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (“Hitachi High-Technologies”)

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   6/1961    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    shares       
         6/1993    Director    61,700    Note (3)  
         6/1995    Executive Managing Director      
         6/1997    Senior Executive Managing Director      
         4/1999    Executive Vice President and Representative Director      
         6/2003   

Representative Executive Officer, Executive Vice President, Executive Officer and Director

Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi High-Technologies

     
         4/2004    Director      

12

  

Hiroshi Kuwahara

(Nov. 23, 1935)

  

Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. (“Hitachi Maxell”)

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1960    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    33,600    Note  (4)
         6/1989    Director      
         6/1991    Executive Managing Director      
         6/1993    Senior Executive Managing Director      
         6/1995    Executive Vice-President and Representative Director      
         6/1999    Vice Chairman of the Board and Representative Director      
         1/2001   

Executive member of Council for Science & Technology Policy, Cabinet Office

Director

     
         1/2003    Vice Chairman of the Board and Representative Director      
         4/2003    Director      
         6/2003    Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi Maxell      

13

  

Masayoshi Hanabusa

(Oct. 10, 1934)

  

Chairman of the Board, Hitachi Capital Corporation (“Hitachi Capital”)

 

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

   4/1957    Joined Hitachi Sales Corporation    12,050    None  
         8/1960    Joined Hitachi Credit Corporation (currently Hitachi Capital)      
         6/1977    Director      
         6/1983    Executive Managing Director      
         6/1987    Senior Executive Managing Director      
         6/1991    President and Representative Director      
         6/2001    Chairman of the Board and Representative Director      
         6/2003   

Chairman of the Board

Director, Hitachi, Ltd.

     

14

  

Ryuichi Seguchi

(Nov. 19, 1933)

   Chairman of the Board, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (“Hitachi Construction Machinery”)    4/1956    Joined Hitachi, Ltd.    10,000    None  
         10/1970    Joined Hitachi Construction Machinery      
         6/1981    Board Director      
         6/1983    Executive Managing Director      
         6/1989    Senior Executive Managing Director      
         6/1993    Executive Vice President      
         6/1997    President, Chief Executive Officer and Representative Director      
         4/2003    Chairman of the Board and Representative Director      
         6/2003    Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer      
         4/2005    Chairman of the Board      

 

Notes:

 

(1)

   Both NSC, for which Mr. Akira Chihaya serves as Representative Director and Chairman of the Board, and the Company conduct businesses in the area of power and industrial systems. Additionally, the Company has continuous transactions with NSC, including purchases of steel products of NSC through trading firms and sales of control systems and electric machinery to NSC. The amount of such transactions is negligible, in comparison to the whole business scale of both companies. The Company has no special interest in Tekko Kaikan Co., Ltd., for which Mr. Chihaya serves as Representative Director and President.

 

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Table of Contents
   

(2)

   Both Hitachi Software Engineering, for which Mr. Takashi Kawamura serves as Representative Executive Officer, and the Company conduct businesses in the area of information & telecommunication systems. Additionally, the Company has continuous transactions with Hitachi Software Engineering, including purchases of software from Hitachi Software Engineering and sales of computers and components for computers to Hitachi Software Engineering. The two companies also have dealings with each other in the form of loans under the Hitachi Group’s centralized cash management system.
    (3)    Both Hitachi High-Technologies, for which Mr. Yoshiro Kuwata serves as Representative Executive Officer, and the Company conduct businesses in the areas of sales of information systems and medical equipment, etc. Additionally, the Company has continuous transactions with Hitachi High-Technologies, including purchases of information system equipment and liquid crystal related components from Hitachi High-Technologies and sales of information system equipment and software to Hitachi High-Technologies. The two companies also have dealings with each other in the form of loans under the Hitachi Group’s centralized cash management system.
    (4)    Both Hitachi Maxell, for which Mr. Hiroshi Kuwahara serves as Representative Executive Officer, and the Company conduct businesses in the area of digital media related products. Additionally, the Company has continuous transactions with Hitachi Maxell, including purchases of various types of information storage media from Hitachi Maxell and sales of components for computers to Hitachi Maxell. The two companies also have dealings with each other in the form of loans under the Hitachi Group’s centralized cash management system.
    (5)    Ms. Ginko Sato, Mr. Hiromichi Seya, Mr. Akira Chihaya and Mr. Toshiro Nishimura are nominees who fulfill the qualification requirements to be outside directors as provided for in Article 188.2.7-2 of the Commercial Code of Japan.

 

 

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Table of Contents

    Item No. 3 Issuance of stock acquisition rights for the purpose of granting stock options

 

To afford incentives to and raise the morale of the Directors, Executive Officers and employees to contribute to increasing the value of the Company, it is hereby proposed that the Company issue the stock acquisition rights without any consideration for the purpose of granting stock options pursuant to Article 280-20 and Article 280-21 of the Commercial Code of Japan.

 

The substance of the proposition to be submitted by the Board of Directors with regard to the issuance of stock acquisition rights is set forth below:

 

1. Qualified persons to be allocated the stock acquisition rights (the “Rights”)

 

Directors, Executive Officers and employees of the Company

 

2. Class and number of shares to be issued upon exercise of the Rights

 

Not more than 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”) in total.

 

In the event that the Company splits or consolidates its Common Stock, the number of shares to be issued upon exercise of the Rights shall be adjusted according to the following formula.

 

Number of

shares after

adjustment

  =   

Number of shares

before adjustment

  ×   Ratio of stock split or consolidation

 

Any fraction less than one share derived in consequence of adjustment shall be rounded down to the nearest one share.

 

3. Total number of the Rights to be issued

 

Not more than 1,500 Rights in total. The number of shares to be issued upon exercise of each Right shall be 1,000, which shall be adjusted in accordance with the preceding provision.

 

4. Issue price of the Rights

 

No consideration shall be paid.

 

5. Amount to be paid upon exercise of the Rights

 

The amount to be paid per share upon exercise of the Rights (the “Exercise Price”) shall be 1.05 times of the market price (the “Market Price”), which is not lower of either (i) the average of the closing price (including indication of any bid or offer) of a Common Stock on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on each of the thirty consecutive trading days commencing on the forty-fifth trading day preceding the issue date (excluding the number of days on which no closing price is quoted) or (ii) the closing price of the issue date (or if no closing price is quoted on the issue date, the latest closing price before the issue date shall be applied). Any fraction less than one yen shall be rounded up to the nearest one yen.

 

In the event that the Company issues new shares or reissues its own shares at price less than the Market Price (excluding the issue of shares resulting from the exercise of the stock acquisition rights) after the issue date, the Exercise Price will be subject to adjustment in accordance with the following formula, and any fraction less than one yen derived in consequence of adjustment shall be rounded up to the nearest one yen.

 

               

Number

of shares

already

issued

 

+

 

Number of

new shares

to be issued

  ×  

Amount

to be paid

per share

                     

Exercise

Price after

adjustment

  =  

Exercise

Price before

adjustment

 

×

       

Market Price per share

before issue

           
           

Number of

shares already

issued

  +  

Number of new

shares to be

issued

 

 

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In the above formula, the number of its own shares held by the Company shall be excluded from the number of shares already issued. In the case of the reissue of its own shares, “Number of new shares to be issued” means “Number of its own shares to be reissued” and “Market Price per share before issue” means “Market Price per share before reissue.”

 

Upon stock split or consolidation of Common Stocks, the Exercise Price will be subject to adjustment in accordance with the following formula, and any fraction less than one yen derived in consequence of adjustment shall be rounded up to the nearest one yen.

 

Exercise

Price

after

adjustment

   =   

Exercise

Price

before

adjustment

   ×    1
           
            Ratio of stock split or consolidation

 

6. Period during which the Rights may be exercised

 

The Rights will be exercisable within a three-year period following one year from the issue date.

 

7. Conditions for exercise of the Rights

 

  (1) In the event a person holding the Rights loses the position of Director, Executive Officer or employee of the Company, such person may exercise the Rights only within the succeeding six months of such event. In the event of the death of the person, the Rights expire immediately.

 

  (2) Other terms of exercising the Rights shall be subject to the provisions in granting agreement between the Company and each qualified person.

 

8. Cancellation of the Rights

 

The Company may acquire and cancel the Rights at any time without consideration.

 

9. Restriction on the transfer of the Rights

 

The approval by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be required for transfer of the Rights.

 

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Table of Contents

Reporting Matters

 

1. Business Report (from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005)

 

(1) Business Overview of Hitachi Group

 

Business Results

 

The Japanese economy was solid during the first half of the year under review but leveled off in the latter half as investment in digital product sectors came full cycle.

 

Against this economic backdrop, consolidated revenues rose 5% from the preceding year, to JPY9,027.0 billion. Operating income increased 51%, to JPY279.0 billion, owing to a strong performance by High Functional Materials & Components and good showings by construction machinery and other business sectors in Power & Industrial Systems. Income before income taxes and minority interests came to JPY264.5 billion, up 12% from the preceding year, and net income to JPY51.4 billion, up 224%.

 

Measures Taken

 

During the year under review, the Company on October 1, 2004 moved to ensure solid growth in the automotive products business by merging TOKICO LTD. (“TOKICO”) and Hitachi Unisia Automotive, Ltd., group companies operating in the engine system and drive control system sectors, into the Company. In addition, the Company, together with two other group companies, Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. and Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., established Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd. as a joint-venture company for developing and manufacturing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles and other applications.

 

The Company also responded to growing demand for flat panel TVs by joining Toshiba Corporation and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. in establishing IPS Alpha Technology, Ltd., a joint venture company focused on manufacture and marketing of liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panels, and also by in April 2005 making Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Limited (“FHP”) a subsidiary of the Company through the acquisition of some of FHP’s stock previously held by Fujitsu Limited. Automatic teller machine (“ATM”) and other information equipment operations were consolidated with those of Omron Corporation (“Omron”) under a new company, Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corp., established between the Company and Omron on October 1, 2004.

 

The Hitachi Group also stepped up its effort to become a “truly local company” in each geographical region of its operations. In October 2004, a former British Ambassador to Japan was appointed to represent the Hitachi Group in its relationship with the European community and customers in the region. In February 2005, the Company’s executive officers in charge of Hitachi group global business in North America and China were stationed in the United States and China to serve as the chiefs of the respective regional administration companies. Through such measures, the Hitachi Group continues to strengthen its ability to move forcefully ahead with locally led business development geared to the needs and priorities of each region. During October and November 2004, the “Hitachi Exhibition – China 2004” was held in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and succeeded in winning broad recognition of the Hitachi Group’s advanced capabilities and overall strength.

 

With consideration to the revised Japanese Patent Law that went into effect in April 2005, the Company made changes to its invention reward program in order to deepen employee understanding of the program’s purpose and promote still more vigorous research and development activities. The improved system is expected to add further impetus to the development of advanced technologies and help Hitachi maintain and improve its long-standing reputation as technology-oriented company.

 

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Table of Contents

Business Results by Industry Segment

 

[Revenues and Operating Income by Industry Segment]

 

(Billions of yen)

 

Industry Segment


   Revenues

    Operating Income

 
  

Fiscal

2003(A)


   

Fiscal

2004(B)


    (B)/(A)

   

Fiscal

2003(A)


   

Fiscal

2004(B)


    (B)/(A)

 

Information & Telecommunication Systems

   2,314.5     2,268.3     98 %   69.9     67.7     97 %

Electronic Devices

   1,312.3     1,320.1     101 %   30.4     37.0     122 %

Power & Industrial Systems

   2,297.9     2,515.3     109 %   33.9     73.6     217 %

Digital Media & Consumer Products

   1,226.9     1,280.3     104 %   6.9     8.6     125 %

High Functional Materials & Components

   1,297.0     1,504.3     116 %   46.7     87.5     187 %

Logistics, Services & Others

   1,256.2     1,248.2     99 %   0.5     9.8     1,840 %

Financial Services

   550.9     529.6     96 %   22.3     31.0     139 %

Subtotal

   10,256.1     10,666.5     104 %   210.9     315.5     150 %

Eliminations & Corporate Items

   (1,623.6 )   (1,639.4 )   —   %   (26.0 )   (364 )   —   %
    

 

 

 

 

 

Total

   8,632.4     9,027.0     105 %   184.8     279.0     151 %
    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

   (1)   The consolidated figures of the Company have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, while revenues and operating income by industry segment have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in Japan.
     (2)   Restructuring charges etc. are included as part of other income or other deductions in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in Japan, while they are included as part of operating income (loss) under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
     (3)   Revenues by industry segment include intersegment transactions.
     (4)   The businesses of each segment are set out in “(2) Main Products and Services of Hitachi Group.”

 

[Information & Telecommunication Systems]

 

Revenues decreased 2% from the preceding year despite good results posted by outsourcing services, owing mainly to price declines experienced by servers, hard disk drives and related products. Although hard disk drives generated considerably more profit than in the preceding year, the gain was more than wiped out by lower profit levels in the software and services sector. Operating income therefore fell 3% from the preceding year, to JPY67.7 billion.

 

[Electronic Devices]

 

While liquid crystal displays turned stagnant in the second half owing to an abrupt market downturn, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation made strong advances in semiconductor and liquid crystal product manufacturing equipment. Revenues increased 1% and operating income rose 22%, to JPY37.0 billion.

 

[Power & Industrial Systems]

 

Revenues rose 9% from the preceding year mainly because of the merger of TOKICO and the acquisition of Guangzhou Hitachi Elevator Co., Ltd., which conducts manufacture and services operations in elevators and escalators business, to make it a subsidiary. Operating income rose 117%, to JPY73.6 billion, due particularly to the strong performance of Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.

 

[Digital Media & Consumer Products]

 

As a result of advances made by plasma TVs and LCD projectors, and the fact that white goods maintained year-earlier levels, revenues increased 4% and operating income rose 25%, to JPY8.6 billion.

 

[High Functional Materials & Components]

 

Brisk revenues in the automotive and electronic sectors buoyed results in companies in this segment. Revenues increased 16% and operating income rose 87%, to JPY87.5 billion.

 

[Logistics, Services & Others]

 

Revenues declined 1% from the preceding year. However, good showings by Hitachi Transport System, Ltd. and other companies boosted operating income to JPY9.8 billion, considerably higher than in the preceding year.

 

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[Financial Services]

 

Revenues fell 4% from the preceding year. Operating income rose 39%, to JPY31.0 billion, mainly because of a profit posted in connection with the change of the pension system at Hitachi Capital Corporation.

 

Relationship with Subsidiaries and Affiliates

 

During the year under review, the Company acquired part of shares of Guangzhou Hitachi Elevator Co., Ltd., which became a consolidated subsidiary of the Company accordingly. On April 1, 2004, NEOMAX Co., Ltd. (former Sumitomo Special Metals Co., Ltd.) became a consolidated subsidiary of Hitachi Metals, Ltd. On October 1, 2004, the Company transferred all shares of Hitachi Printing Solutions, Ltd., which had been a consolidated subsidiary of the Company, to Ricoh Company, Ltd.

 

On November 15, 2004, Elpida Memory, Inc., an equity-method affiliate of the Company, listed its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

 

[Major Consolidated Subsidiaries of Hitachi, Ltd. (As of March 31, 2005)]

 

[Information & Telecommunication Systems]

 

- Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd.

- Hitachi Electronics Services Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Information Systems, Ltd.

- Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corp.

- Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Systems & Services, Ltd.

- Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc.

- Hitachi Computer Products (Europe) S.A.S.

- Hitachi Data Systems Holding Corp.

- Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.

 

[Electronic Devices]

 

- Hitachi Displays, Ltd.

- Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation

- Hitachi Medical Corporation

- Hitachi Electronic Devices (USA), Inc.

- Hitachi Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd.

 

[Power & Industrial Systems]

 

- Babcock-Hitachi Kabushiki Kaisha

- Hitachi Air Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Engineering & Services Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Industries Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Kiden Kogyo, Ltd.

- Hitachi Plant Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Via Mechanics, Ltd.

- Japan Servo Co., Ltd.

- Guangzhou Hitachi Elevator Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Automotive Products (USA), Inc.

 

[Digital Media & Consumer Products]

 

- Hitachi Home & Life Solutions, Inc.

- Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.

- Hitachi Media Electronics Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc.

- Shanghai Hitachi Household Appliances Co., Ltd.

 

[High Functional Materials & Components]

 

- Hitachi Cable, Ltd.

- Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

 

[Logistics, Services & Others]

 

- Chuo Shoji, Ltd.

- Hitachi Life Corporation

- Hitachi Mobile Co., Ltd.

- Hitachi Transport System, Ltd.

- Nikkyo Create, Ltd.

- Hitachi America, Ltd.

- Hitachi Asia Ltd.

- Hitachi (China), Ltd.

- Hitachi Europe Ltd.

 

[Financial Services]

 

- Hitachi Capital Corporation

- Hitachi Insurance Services, Ltd.

 

Notes:

   (1)    The total number of consolidated subsidiaries (including variable interest entities) pursuant to Article 2.1.25 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Commercial Code of Japan is 985 as of March 31, 2005.
     (2)    The number of equity-method affiliates is 167. The major equity-method affiliates are Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Co., Ltd., Elpida Memory, Inc., Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Limited, Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd., Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc. and Renesas Technology Corp. (“Renesas”).
     (3)    Renesas is accounted for under the equity method by the Company as major decisions require consensus between the Company and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in accordance with the joint venture agreement, although the Company owns more than 50% of voting rights of Renesas.
     (4)    Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corp. was incorporated through corporate split to acquire the information equipment businesses such as ATMs operated by the Company and Omron on October 1, 2004.
     (5)    Hitachi Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd. made a change in corporate name from Hitachi Nippon Steel Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd. on October 28, 2004.

 

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(2) Main Products and Services of Hitachi Group (Fiscal 2004)

 

Industry Segment


  

Main Products and Services


   Percentage
to Total
Revenues


Information & Telecommunication Systems

   Systems Integration, Outsourcing Services, Software, Hard Disk Drives, Disk Array Subsystems, Servers, Mainframes, Personal Computers, Telecommunications Equipment, ATMs    21%

Electronic Devices

   Liquid Crystal Displays, Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, Test and Measurement Equipment, Medical Electronics Equipment, Semiconductors    12%

Power & Industrial Systems

   Nuclear Power Plants, Thermal Power Plants, Hydroelectric Power Plants, Industrial Machinery and Plants, Automotive Products, Construction Machinery, Elevators, Escalators, Railway Vehicles, Air-Conditioning Equipment    24%

Digital Media & Consumer Products

   Optical Disk Drives, Televisions, LCD Projectors, Mobile Phones, Room Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Washing Machines, Information Storage Media, Batteries    12%

High Functional Materials & Components

   Wires and Cables, Copper Products, Semiconductor Materials, Circuit Boards and Materials, Organic and Inorganic Chemical Products, Synthetic Resin Products, LCD Materials, Specialty Steels, Magnetic Materials, Malleable Cast-Iron Products, Forged and Cast-Steel Products    14%

Logistics, Services & Others

   General Trading, Logistics, Property Management    12%

Financial Services

   Leasing, Loan Guarantees, Insurance Services    5%

 

(3) Capital Investment of Hitachi Group

 

Investment in new plant and equipment came to JPY959.5 billion, an increase of JPY143.0 billion from the preceding year. The total excluding investment in leasing assets and the like was JPY382.1 billion. This amount was accounted for chiefly by investment in hard disk drive manufacturing and development facilities, facilities for increasing LCD production, and facilities for increasing production of automotive equipment and components. A breakdown of capital investment by industry segment is shown below.

 

     (Billions of yen)  

Industry Segment


   Amount

 

Information & Telecommunication Systems

   103.0  

Electronic Devices

   47.0  

Power & Industrial Systems

   98.3  

Digital Media & Consumer Products

   38.4  

High Functional Materials & Components

   75.5  

Logistics, Services & Others

   31.1  

Financial Services

   591.3  

Subtotal

   984.8  

Eliminations & Corporate Items

   (25.2 )
    

Total

   959.5  
    

 

Note: The figures above include JPY577.4 billion of investment in assets to be leased. This mainly includes the investment relating to leasing business in the Financial Services segment.

 

(4) Research and Development of Hitachi Group

 

Expenditures on research and development during the year amounted to JPY388.6 billion, which is equivalent to 4.3% of consolidated revenues. While the Hitachi Group is focusing R&D resources on main businesses such as hard disk drives and storage solutions, it is also forcefully pursuing leading-edge research aimed at finding and cultivating new technologies to support the Hitachi Group’s future core businesses. Notable achievements included the development of the world’s smallest sensor net terminal, which is capable of using sensors to gather information regarding human movement, temperature and moisture change in real time and transmitting it over a wireless network. The technology is expected to find diverse applications in fields such as building security, healthcare, and logistics. A breakdown of R&D expenditures by industry segment is shown below.

 

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     (Billions of yen)

Industry Segment


   Amount

Information & Telecommunication Systems

   164.7

Electronic Devices

   47.3

Power & Industrial Systems

   78.5

Digital Media & Consumer Products

   32.1

High Functional Materials & Components

   43.3

Logistics, Services & Others

   5.3

Financial Services

   2.3

Corporate Items

   14.6
    

Total

   388.6
    

 

(5) Capital Raising Activity of Hitachi Group

 

By means of syndicated loan agreements, the Company financed a total of JPY170.0 billion to be used as funds for, among other purposes, redeeming the company’s 7th issue of unsecured convertible bonds that were due for redemption in September 2004. On October 19, 2004, the Company issued JPY100.0 billion in bonds with stock acquisition rights by private offering to raise funds for upfront investment, including investment in facilities and R&D for maintaining the medium-to-long term growth of the Hitachi Group. On June 4, 2004, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. issued 20 million new shares of stock (issue price of JPY1,273 per share) by public offering.

 

Main Sources of Borrowings of the Company

 

 

     (As of March 31, 2005)

Creditor


   Balance of
Borrowings


   Shares Owned by
Creditor


Nippon Life Insurance Company

   10.0 billion yen    100,630,195 shares

The Dai-Ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company

   10.0 billion yen    75,992,222 shares

Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company

   10.0 billion yen    49,492,818 shares

Sumitomo Life Insurance Company

   10.0 billion yen    5,456,000 shares

 

Note: In addition to the figures shown above, the Company owes JPY170.0 billion of borrowings by means of syndicated loan agreements.

 

(6) Problems Facing Hitachi Group

 

Management’s assessment of the future business environment is that the Japanese economy can be expected to experience a slowdown in exports and investment in new plant and equipment and that difficult circumstances are likely to continue for sometime to follow.

 

However, the Hitachi Group will not be deterred by this harsh outlook for fiscal 2005, the final year of the current medium-term management plan, the “i.e.Hitachi Plan II,” and is firmly committed to improving profitability through implementation of measures for coping with business risks and profit depressing factors and still more intense and effective cost cutting efforts. In addition, the following key measures will be pursued for ensuring the medium-to-long term growth and development of the Hitachi Group.

 

  - The Hitachi Group Headquarters established during the year under review to coordinate Group management will play a central role in ensuring that cost reduction and other concrete benefits are realized through centralization of operations common to the whole Group, as well as in building a strong business portfolio that exploits the strengths of the Hitachi Group to the utmost.

 

  - Systems for promoting the Hitachi Group’s global strategies will be upgraded with focus on the North American, European, Chinese and other Asian markets to reinforce the ability of local regions to formulate regional strategies, including strategies in response to market trends and various risks.

 

  - Efforts will be made to further leading-edge R&D for creating future core businesses of the Hitachi Group, to reinforce fundamental technologies for improving productivity and quality and lowering costs, and to pass down hands-on skills and techniques in manufacturing quality.

 

  - In order to ensure fair presentation of financial statements, the ongoing Hitachi Group-wide initiative to rebuild internal control systems by, for example, upgrading existing internal systems and committing work procedures to writing, will be pursued in greater depth, and activities will be undertaken to thoroughly instill a strong awareness of the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) throughout the Hitachi Group both in Japan and overseas. Group-wide measures will also be taken to enhance protection of personal information.

 

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  - Priority will be placed on maximizing corporate value from the long-term perspective by further reinforcing corporate governance, and, for enabling defensive action should outside threats to corporate value arise, measures that make possible a fair and unbiased response will be examined for introduction, also keeping legal and other regulatory reforms in mind.

 

(7) Five-year Summary

 

Consolidated Basis

 

                    (Billions of yen)

Fiscal Year


   2000

   2001

   2002

   2003

   2004

Revenues

   8,416.9    7,993.7    8,191.7    8,632.4    9,027.0

Operating Income

   342.3    -117.4    152.9    184.8    279.0

Income Before Income Taxes and Minority Interests

   323.6    -586.0    96.8    237.1    264.5

Net Income

   104.3    -483.8    27.8    15.8    51.4

Net Income per Share (Basic) (yen)

   31.27    -144.95    8.31    4.81    15.53

Net Income per Share (Diluted) (yen)

   30.32    —      8.19    4.75    15.15

Total Assets

   11,246.6    9,915.6    10,179.3    9,590.3    9,736.2
    
  
  
  
  

 

Notes:

   (1 )    The consolidated figures shown above have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
     (2 )    Restructuring charges etc. are included as part of other income or other deductions in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in Japan, while they are included as part of operating income (loss) under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
     (3 )    In fiscal 2001, the semiconductor, display, telecommunications equipment and electronics related product businesses experienced a severe decline in demand and markedly weaker prices. In addition, other reductions were incurred owing mainly to the special termination benefits under an early retirement benefit system. In combination, these factors produced a large amount of loss.
     (4 )    In fiscal 2002, the Company posted net income, reversing a net loss, due to the restructuring measures taken in the preceding fiscal year.
     (5 )    In fiscal 2003, income before income taxes and minority interests increased sharply due mainly to the improvement of operating income and gain on sale of investments in securities.

 

Unconsolidated Basis

 

                    (Billions of yen)

Fiscal Year


   2000

   2001

   2002

   2003

   2004

Orders Received

   3,812.6    3,193.5    2,984.8    2,369.9    2,495.8

Revenues

   4,015.8    3,522.2    3,112.4    2,488.8    2,597.4

Operating Income

   98.5    -84.7    53.7    7.5    -5.6

Ordinary Income

   56.0    -81.6    52.0    20.1    22.2

Net Income

   40.1    -252.6    28.2    40.1    10.3

Net Income per Share (Basic) (yen)

   12.02    -75.68    8.38    12.14    3.12

Net Income per Share (Diluted) (yen)

   12.01    —      —      12.14    3.12

Total Assets

   4,119.2    3,923.1    3,825.0    3,708.3    3,752.5
    
  
  
  
  

 

Notes:

   (1)      In fiscal 2001, the semiconductor, display and telecommunications equipment businesses experienced a severe decline in demand and markedly weaker prices. In addition, extraordinary losses were incurred owing mainly to the special termination benefits under an early retirement benefit system. In combination, these factors produced a large amount of loss.
     (2)      In fiscal 2002, revenues decreased from the preceding fiscal year, including due to transfer of several businesses to the subsidiaries, while income increased from the preceding fiscal year.
     (3)      In fiscal 2003, revenues decreased sharply from the preceding fiscal year due primarily to the corporate split of system LSI and other semiconductor operations and hard disk drive business from the Company.
     (4)      In fiscal 2004, the Company posted an operating loss due to deterioration in profitability of its main business sectors. Net income substantially decreased from the preceding fiscal year due to posting an extraordinary loss, which includes impairment loss on shares of an affiliated company engaging in plasma display panel operations and restructuring charges relating to digital media product business in Japan.
     (5)      Net income per share is calculated for fiscal 2000 based on total number of shares issued at year-end, for fiscal 2001 based on total number of shares issued at year-end less number of treasury stocks, and since fiscal 2002 based on total average number of shares issued less average number of treasury stocks during the fiscal year.

 

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(8) Directors and Executive Officers (As of March 31, 2005)

 

Directors

 

Name


  

Position


  

Committee Membership


  

Principal Position outside the

Company


Tsutomu Kanai

   Chairman of the Board   

Chairman of Nominating Committee

Chairman of Compensation Committee

   —  

Etsuhiko Shoyama

   Director   

Nominating Committee

Compensation Committee

   —  

Yoshiki Yagi

   Director    Chairman of Audit Committee    —  

Kotaro Muneoka

   Director    Audit Committee    —  

*Takashi Miyoshi

   Director    —      —  

Ginko Sato

   Director   

Nominating Committee

Audit Committee

   President, Japan Association for the Advancement of Working Women

Hiromichi Seya

   Director   

Nominating Committee

Audit Committee

Compensation Committee

   Senior Corporate Advisor, Asahi Glass Company, Limited

Akira Chihaya

   Director    Compensation Committee    Representative Director and Chairman of the Board, NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION

Toshiro Nishimura

   Director   

Nominating Committee

Audit Committee

Compensation Committee

   Attorney at Law

*Isao Uchigasaki

   Director    —      Chairman of the Board, Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.

Takashi Kawamura

   Director    —      Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.

Yoshiro Kuwata

   Director    —      Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation

Hiroshi Kuwahara

   Director    —      Chairman of the Board and Representative Executive Officer, Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.

Masayoshi Hanabusa

   Director    —      Chairman of the Board, Hitachi Capital Corporation

 

Notes:

   (1 )    The Directors marked with * were newly elected and assumed their positions at the 135th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on June 24, 2004.
     (2 )    Mr. Shigemichi Matsuka retired due to expiration of his term of office at the close of the 135th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on June 24, 2004.
     (3 )    Directors, Ms. Ginko Sato, Mr. Hiromichi Seya, Mr. Akira Chihaya and Mr. Toshiro Nishimura are outside Directors who fulfill the qualification requirements as provided for in Article 188.2.7-2 of the Commercial Code of Japan.

 

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Table of Contents

Executive Officers

 

Name


  

Position


  

Responsibilities


*Etsuhiko Shoyama

  

Representative Executive Officer

President and Chief Executive Officer

   Overall management

Katsukuni Hisano

  

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Automotive systems business

Isao Ono

  

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Sales operations, information & telecommunication systems business and digital media business

Michiharu Nakamura

  

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Research & development, business incubation and corporate export regulation

Masaharu Sumikawa

  

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Power & industrial systems business and production engineering

Kazuo Furukawa

   Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Information & telecommunication systems business

Hiroaki Nakanishi

   Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group global business (North America)

Takashi Hatchoji

   Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group legal and corporate communications, corporate auditing and human resources

*Takashi Miyoshi

   Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Finance and corporate pension system

Takuya Tajima

   Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Sales operations

Shigeharu Mano

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Power systems business

Kazuhiro Mori

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Industrial systems business

Yoshito Tsunoda

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Urban planning and development systems business

Manabu Shinomoto

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Platform and network systems business

Kazuhiro Tachibana

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Digital media business

Taiji Hasegawa

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Automotive systems business

Junzo Kawakami

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Automotive systems business (suspensions and brakes)

Minoru Tsukada

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group global business (China)

Makoto Ebata

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group strategy and Hitachi group global business

Iwao Hara

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Human resources

Shozo Saito

   Vice President and Executive Officer    Power systems engineering

Yasuo Sakuta

   Executive Officer    Intellectual property

Takao Suzuki

   Executive Officer    Sales operations (Chugoku area)

Koichiro Nishikawa

   Executive Officer    Business development

Masahiro Hayashi

   Executive Officer    Sales operations (Kansai area)

*Isao Uchigasaki

   Hitachi Group Executive Officer    Hitachi group overall strategy

 

Notes:

   (1 )    Mr. Kazuhiro Tachibana and Mr. Isao Uchigasaki were newly elected as Vice President and Executive Officer and Hitachi Group Executive Officer, respectively, at the Board of Directors meeting on March 11, 2004 and assumed their positions on April 1, 2004.
     (2 )    Mr. Junzo Kawakami was newly elected as Vice President and Executive Officer at the Board of Directors meeting on June 24, 2004 and assumed the position on October 1, 2004.
     (3 )    Mr. Masaharu Sumikawa became an Executive Vice President and Executive Officer from an Executive Officer on October 1, 2004. Mr. Takuya Tajima became a Senior Vice President and Executive Officer from a Vice President and Executive Officer on October 1, 2004. Mr. Shozo Saito became a Vice President and Executive Officer from an Executive Officer on October 1, 2004.
     (4 )    The responsibilities of some Executive Officers were changed on February 1, 2005 as follows: the responsibilities of Mr. Hiroaki Nakanishi were changed to Hitachi group global business (North America) from Hitachi group global business and business development; the responsibilities of Mr. Minoru Tsukada were changed to Hitachi group global business (China) from sales operations (Kansai area); the responsibilities of Mr. Masahiro Hayashi were changed to sales operations (Kansai area) from system solutions business; and Hitachi group global business was added to the responsibilities of Mr. Makoto Ebata.
     (5 )    The Executive Officers marked with * concurrently hold the position of Director.

 

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Table of Contents

The Company changed management members, effective April 1, 2005. New Executive Officers are as follows:

 

Executive Officers (As of April 1, 2005)

 

Name


  

Position


  

Responsibilities


Etsuhiko Shoyama   

Representative Executive Officer

President and Chief Executive Officer

   Overall management
Isao Ono   

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Sales operations and information & telecommunication systems business
Michiharu Nakamura   

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Research & development and business incubation
Masaharu Sumikawa   

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Power & industrial systems business, automotive systems business and production engineering
Kazuo Furukawa   

Representative Executive Officer

Executive Vice President and Executive Officer

   Information & telecommunication systems business, digital media business, Hitachi group global business, corporate export regulation and business development
Hiroaki Nakanishi    Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group global business (North America)
Takashi Hatchoji    Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group legal and corporate communications, corporate auditing and human resources
Takashi Miyoshi    Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Finance and corporate pension system
Takuya Tajima    Senior Vice President and Executive Officer    Sales operations
Shigeharu Mano    Vice President and Executive Officer    Power systems business
Kazuhiro Mori    Vice President and Executive Officer    Industrial systems business
Kunihiko Ohnuma    Vice President and Executive Officer    Urban planning and development systems business
Manabu Shinomoto    Vice President and Executive Officer    System solutions business and platform and network systems business
Kazuhiro Tachibana    Vice President and Executive Officer    Digital media business
Taiji Hasegawa    Vice President and Executive Officer    Automotive systems business
Junzo Kawakami    Vice President and Executive Officer    Automotive systems business (suspensions and brakes)
Minoru Tsukada    Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group global business (China)
Masahiro Hayashi    Vice President and Executive Officer    Sales operations (Kansai area)
Makoto Ebata    Vice President and Executive Officer    Hitachi group strategy and Hitachi group global business
Iwao Hara    Vice President and Executive Officer    Human resources
Shozo Saito    Vice President and Executive Officer    Power systems engineering
Yasuo Sakuta    Executive Officer    Intellectual property
Takao Suzuki    Executive Officer    Sales operations (Chugoku area)
Koichiro Nishikawa    Executive Officer    Business development
Isao Uchigasaki    Hitachi Group Executive Officer    Hitachi group overall strategy

 

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Table of Contents

(9) Compensation for Directors and Executive Officers

 

Policy on the Determination of Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers

 

(a) Matters relating to both Directors and Executive Officers

 

Compensation will be commensurate with the ability required of, and the responsibilities to be borne by, the Company’s Directors and Executive Officers, taking into consideration compensation packages at other companies.

 

(b) Matters relating to Directors

 

Compensation for Directors will consist of a monthly salary, a year-end allowance and a retirement allowance.

 

  - Monthly salary will be decided by making adjustments to basic salary that reflect full-time or part-time status, committee membership and position.

 

  - Year-end allowance will be a pre-determined amount equivalent to about twenty percent of the Director’s annual income based on monthly salary, although this amount may be reduced depending on Company performance.

 

  - Retirement allowance will be an amount payable on retirement that is determined based on monthly salary and years of service (total years of service in the case of a Director who has served multiple terms as a Director) (the “Director’s Basic Retirement Amount”).

 

A Director concurrently serving as an Executive Officer will not be paid compensation as a Director.

 

(c) Matters relating to Executive Officers

 

Compensation for Executive Officers will consist of a monthly salary, a performance-linked component and a retirement allowance.

 

  - Monthly salary will be decided by adjusting a basic amount set in accordance with the relevant position to reflect the results of an assessment.

 

  - The performance-linked component will be set within a range equivalent to about thirty percent of the Executive Officer’s annual income, adjusted based on Company and individual performance.

 

  - Retirement allowance will be an amount payable on retirement. The amount will be determined by adding to an amount set in accordance with the position held at retirement, an amount based on the monthly salary of previous positions held over the course of the person’s career and years of service in such positions (total years in each position, in the event of multiple periods in the same position) (the “Executive Officer’s Basic Retirement Amount”).

 

(d) Miscellaneous

 

  - In accordance with a resolution of the 134th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company held on June 25, 2003, the amount of retirement allowance for a Director or Executive Officer who was a Director or Corporate Auditor prior to the close of the Meeting will include an allowance corresponding to the person’s period of service as a Director or Corporate Auditor before the adoption of the Committee System.

 

  - Retirement allowance may, through an assessment, be supplemented for distinguished service by an amount equivalent to up to thirty percent of the Director’s Basic Retirement Amount or Executive Officer’s Basic Retirement Amount. Depending on the circumstances, each such Basic Retirement Amount may also be reduced.

 

  - In addition to the above, stock options may be granted as an incentive to increase corporate value.

 

Amount of Compensation Paid to Directors and Executive Officers in Fiscal 2004

 

(a) Amount paid to Directors and Executive Officers in office after adoption of the Committee System

 

     Remuneration

    Year-end Allowance and
Performance-linked Component


    Retirement Allowance

 
     Number

   

Amount paid

(millions of yen)


    Number

   

Amount paid

(millions of yen)


    Number

   

Amount paid

(millions of yen)


 

Directors

(Outside Directors)

   12
(4
 
)
  233
(60
 
)
  10
(4
 
)
  41
(6
 
)
  1
(—
 
)
  7
(—
 
)

Executive Officers

   26     618     30     292     4     177  
    

 

 

 

 

 

Total

   38     851     40     334     5     184  
    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

   (1)      The number of Directors who received remuneration and year-end allowance excludes three Directors who serve concurrently as Executive Officers.
     (2)      The number of Executive Officers who received performance-linked component includes seven Executive Officers who retired in the preceding year.
     (3)      All of the Executive Officers who received retirement allowance are Executive Officers who retired in the preceding year.
     (4)      Figures of Directors include those of outside Directors.

 

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Table of Contents

(b) Amount paid to Directors and Corporate Auditors in office before adoption of the Committee System

 

     Bonus

   Retirement Allowance

     Number

  

Amount paid

(millions of yen)


   Number

  

Amount paid

(millions of yen)


Directors

   6    22    2    123

Corporate Auditors

   —      —      1    20
    
  
  
  

Total

   6    22    3    144
    
  
  
  

 

Note: The bonus was paid to Directors who were in office during the period April 1, 2003 to June 25, 2003.

 

(10) Employees of Hitachi Group (As of March 31, 2005)

 

Industry Segment


  

Number of

Employees


   

Change from

the end of the
preceding year


 

Information & Telecommunication Systems

   90,173     +466  

Electronic Devices

   25,943     +806  

Power & Industrial Systems

   84,602     +8,178  

Digital Media & Consumer Products

   31,302     -119  

High Functional Materials & Components

   55,032     +6,507  

Logistics, Services & Others

   28,706     +422  

Financial Services

   4,084     -72  

Corporate

   3,230     +8  
    

 

Total

(the Company)

   323,072
(38,537
 
)
  +16,196
(+3,824
 
)
    

 

 

Notes:

   (1 )    The total number of employees of Hitachi Group including part-time employees was 347,424.
     (2 )    Figures in the parentheses represent the figures for the Company. The total number of employees of the Company including part-time employees was 41,069.

 

(11) Major Facilities of Hitachi Group (As of March 31, 2005)

 

Major Facilities of the Company

 

    

Location


Head Office

   Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku)

R&D

   Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku, Kokubunji), Ibaraki (Hitachi, Hitachinaka), Saitama (Hatoyama), Kanagawa (Yokohama, Kawasaki)

Manufacturing,

Design and

Engineering

   Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku, Koto-ku, Shinagawa-ku, Ome), Ibaraki (Hitachi, Hitachinaka), Saitama (Kawagoe), Kanagawa (Yokohama, Atsugi, Ebina, Odawara, Kawasaki, Hadano), Aichi (Toyokawa), Yamaguchi (Kudamatsu)

Sales and

Area Operations

   Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku, Koto-ku, Shinagawa-ku), Hokkaido Area Operation (Sapporo), Tohoku Area Operation (Sendai), Kanto Area Operation (Tokyo), Yokohama Area Operation (Yokohama), Hokuriku Area Operation (Toyama), Chubu Area Operation (Nagoya), Kansai Area Operation (Osaka), Chugoku Area Operation (Hiroshima), Shikoku Area Operation (Takamatsu), Kyushu Area Operation (Fukuoka)

 

Note: The Company moved its Head Office to Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo on September 27, 2004.

 

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Table of Contents

Locations of the Company’s Major Consolidated Subsidiaries

 

Name


  

Location


Babcock-Hitachi Kabushiki Kaisha

   Minato-ku, Tokyo

Chuo Shoji, Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Air Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd.

   Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Cable, Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Capital Corporation

   Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.

   Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd.

   Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.

   Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Displays, Ltd.

   Mobara, Chiba

Hitachi Electronics Services Co., Ltd.

   Yokohama, Kanagawa

Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd.

   Hitachi, Ibaraki

Hitachi Engineering & Services Co., Ltd.

   Hitachi, Ibaraki

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation

   Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Home & Life Solutions, Inc.

   Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Industries Co., Ltd.

   Adachi-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Information Systems, Ltd.

   Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Insurance Services, Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Kiden Kogyo, Ltd.

   Amagasaki, Hyogo

Hitachi Life Corporation

   Hitachi, Ibaraki

Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.

   Ibaraki, Osaka

Hitachi Media Electronics Co., Ltd.

   Mizusawa, Iwate

Hitachi Medical Corporation

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

   Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Mobile Co., Ltd.

   Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corp.

   Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Plant Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.

   Yokohama, Kanagawa

Hitachi Systems & Services, Ltd.

   Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Transport System, Ltd.

   Koto-ku, Tokyo

Hitachi Via Mechanics, Ltd.

   Ebina, Kanagawa

Japan Servo Co., Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Nikkyo Create, Ltd.

   Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Guangzhou Hitachi Elevator Co., Ltd.

   China

Hitachi America, Ltd.

   U.S.A.

Hitachi Asia Ltd.

   Singapore

Hitachi Automotive Products (USA), Inc.

   U.S.A.

Hitachi (China), Ltd.

   China

Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc.

   U.S.A.

Hitachi Computer Products (Europe) S.A.S.

   France

*Hitachi Data Systems Holding Corp.

   U.S.A.

Hitachi Electronic Devices (USA), Inc.

   U.S.A.

Hitachi Europe Ltd.

   U.K.

*Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.

   Netherlands

Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc.

   U.S.A.

Hitachi Semiconductor Singapore Pte. Ltd.

   Singapore

Shanghai Hitachi Household Appliances Co., Ltd.

   China

 

Note: The companies marked with * are holding companies; their major operating companies are located in the United States.

 

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Table of Contents

(12) Summary of Resolution of Board of Directors on Performance of Functions of Audit Committee

 

  (a) Board of Directors Office (the “Office”) shall be established as an organization devoted solely to supporting each Committee, including the Audit Committee, as well as the Board of Directors. The Office shall be staffed by three or more employees not subject to instructions or orders of Executive Officers. The Corporate Auditing and Legal & Corporate Communications departments shall also provide support to the Board of Directors and each Committee.

 

  (b) In order to ensure the independence of the Office personnel from the Executive Officers, the Audit Committee shall be informed in advance of planned transfers of the Office personnel and may request the Executive Officer in charge of human resources management to alter such plans, when necessary.

 

  (c) An Executive Officer or employee shall report without delay to Audit Committee members in connection with matters prescribed by law and the matters set forth below:

 

  - the content of an Executive Officer’s decision regarding an important matter that will affect the Company as a whole,

 

  - the result of an internal audit conducted by the responsible departments, and

 

  - the status of reporting under the internal report system maintained by the Executive Officers.

 

  (d) Records regarding decisions of an Executive Officer shall be prepared and preserved in accordance with the Company’s regulations.

 

  (e) Each relevant department shall establish regulations and guidelines, conduct training, prepare and distribute manuals, and carry out other such measures with respect to risks associated with legal issues and compliance thereof, the environment, disasters, product quality, export control and other pertinent matters. When it becomes necessary to respond to a new risk, an Executive Officer shall be promptly appointed to deal with the issue. A system enabling employees to report directly to the Directors shall be established.

 

  (f) The business management system set forth below is to be used to continuously monitor risks arising in the course of business and to facilitate the efficient execution by Executive Officers of their responsibilities.

 

  - The Senior Executive Committee comprising principal Executive Officers shall deliberate on important issues that affect the Company as a whole to facilitate the formulation of decisions based on the due consideration of the diverse factors coloring such issues.

 

  - In order to boost market competitiveness through the committed pursuit of profitability and by setting clearly defined goals, numerical targets shall be set for the Company as a whole and each business group and incorporated into the fiscal budget. The targets shall be used as the reference base for performance management.

 

  - Internal audits shall be conducted to monitor and identify the status of business operations and to facilitate improvements. In order to ensure strict compliance with its regulatory requirements, the Company has put in place a number of committees.

 

  - The Audit Committee shall receive the audit plans of the accounting auditors in advance to facilitate the monitoring of the accounting auditors and ensure that these auditors are not influenced by Executive Officers. The prior approval of the Audit Committee shall be required with respect to the fees to the accounting auditors and non-audit services.

 

(13) Fees to the Company’s Accounting Auditors (Fiscal 2004)

 

(Millions of yen)

 

Category


   Amount

Total fees by the Company and its subsidiaries

   1,030

Audit fees by the Company and its subsidiaries under Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Certified Public Accountants Law

   874

Audit fees by the Company (*)

   178

 

Note: The column marked with * includes fees for audits under applicable securities exchange laws.

 

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Table of Contents

(14) Common Stock (As of March 31, 2005)

 

Authorized

   10,000,000,000 shares

Issued

   3,368,126,056 shares

Capital Stock

   JPY282,033,991,613

Number of Shares per Unit

   1,000 shares

 

Issued in Fiscal 2004

 

    

Number of Shares

Issued (shares)


  

Capital Stock Increased

(yen)


Issued on Conversion of Convertible Bonds

   1,180    1,000,640

 

The Company did not cancel any of its own shares in fiscal 2004.

 

Shareholders Composition

 

Class of Shareholders


   Number of
Shareholders


  

Number of Shares Owned

(shares)


  

Ownership

(%)


Financial Institution and Securities Firm

   483    939,684,401    27.90

Individual

   428,569    1,066,529,626    31.67

Foreign Investor

   1,067    1,228,531,088    36.47

Other

   4,034    133,310,623    3.96

Government and Municipality

   4    70,318    0.00
    
  
  

Total

   434,157    3,368,126,056    100.00

 

10 Largest Shareholders

 

     Shareholder’s Equity in the
Company


   The Company’s Equity in
Shareholder Concerned


Name


  

Number of

Shares Owned


   Ownership

   Number of
Shares Owned


   Ownership

     shares    %    shares    %

NATS CUMCO

   216,030,050    6.41    —      —  

The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Ltd.

   194,452,000    5.77    —      —  

Japan Trustee Services Bank, Ltd.

   172,379,000    5.12    —      —  

The Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. London

   149,190,746    4.43    —      —  

State Street Bank and Trust Company

   146,737,849    4.36    —      —  

Nippon Life Insurance Company

   100,630,195    2.99    —      —  

Hitachi Employees’ Shareholding Association

   91,625,952    2.72    —      —  

The Dai-Ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company

   75,992,222    2.26    —      —  

Trust & Custody Services Bank, Ltd.

   59,499,000    1.77    —      —  

Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company

   49,492,818    1.47    —      —  

 

Note: NATS CUMCO is the nominee name of the depositary bank, Citibank, N.A., for the aggregate of the Company’s American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) holders.

 

Acquisition, Disposition and Possession by the Company of Its Own Shares in Fiscal 2004

 

Acquisition

 

Class


  

Number of Shares

(shares)


  

Aggregate Acquisition

Prices (yen)


Common Stock

   12,381,894    8,136,707,283

 

Note: During fiscal 2004, the Company did not purchase any of its own shares pursuant to the resolution on the acquisition of its own shares at the 134th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders or resolution of the Board of Directors under Article 7 of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation.

 

Disposition

 

Class


  

Number of Shares

(shares)


  

Aggregate Disposition

Prices (yen)


Common Stock

   45,942,645    34,071,235,302

 

Possession (As of March 31, 2005)

 

Class


  

Number of Shares

(shares)


Common Stock

   36,549,222

 

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Table of Contents

(15) Stock Acquisition Rights

 

Issued Stock Acquisition Rights (As of March 31, 2005)

 

Category


 

Stock Acquisition Rights as Stock Options


 

Stock Acquisition Rights as Bonds with Stock
Acquisition Rights


Number of Stock Acquisition Rights Issued   1,963   20,000
Class and Number of Shares to Be Issued upon Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights  

1,963,000 shares of the Company’s common stock

(The number of shares to be issued upon exercise of each stock acquisition right shall be 1,000.)

  99,108,026 shares of the Company’s common stock
Issue Price of Stock Acquisition Rights   No consideration   No consideration

 

Notes:

   (1)    The number of stock acquisition rights as stock options and number of shares to be issued upon exercise of stock acquisition rights excludes expired stock acquisition rights pursuant to the conditions for exercise of stock acquisition rights.
     (2)    The number of shares to be issued upon exercise of stock acquisition rights which were issued as bonds with stock acquisition rights is calculated based on the conversion price as of March 31, 2005.
     (3)    In addition to the stock acquisition rights shown above, the Company issues subscription rights for the purpose of granting stock options pursuant to Article 280-19.1 of the former Commercial Code of Japan. The number of shares to be issued upon exercise of these subscription rights is 728,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

Stock Acquisition Rights Issued to Persons Other Than Shareholders with Special Favorable Conditions in Fiscal 2004

 

Name of Stock Acquisition Rights   

Hitachi, Ltd. 2nd Stock Acquisition Rights

 

   Hitachi, Ltd. 3rd Stock Acquisition Rights
Issue Date of Stock Acquisition Rights    July 29, 2004    October 1, 2004
Number of Stock Acquisition Rights Issued    1,237    41
Class and Number of Shares to Be Issued upon Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights   

1,237,000 shares of the Company’s common stock

(The number of shares to be issued upon exercise of each stock acquisition right shall be 1,000.)

  

41,000 shares of the Company’s common stock

(The number of shares to be issued upon exercise of each stock acquisition right shall be 1,000.)

Issue Price of Stock Acquisition Rights    No consideration    No consideration
Amount to Be Paid upon Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights    JPY782 per share    JPY705 per share
Period during Which Stock Acquisition Rights May Be Exercised    From July 30, 2005 to July 29, 2008    From October 2, 2005 to October 1, 2008

Conditions for Exercise of Stock Acquisition Rights

  

(1)    In the event a person holding the stock acquisition rights loses the position of Director, Executive Officer or employee of the Company, such person may exercise the stock acquisition rights only within the succeeding six months of such event. In the event of the death of the person, the stock acquisition rights expire immediately.

  

(2)    Other terms of exercising the stock acquisition rights shall be subject to the provisions in granting agreement between the Company and each qualified person.

Cancellation of Stock Acquisition Rights

   The Company may acquire and cancel the stock acquisition rights at any time without consideration.

Special Favorable Conditions

   The Company issued the stock acquisition rights without any consideration for granting stock options.

 

Note: The issues of the stock acquisition rights shown above were resolved at the Board of Directors meetings on July 29, 2004 and September 24, 2004, respectively, in accordance with the resolution at the 135th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on June 24, 2004.

 

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Table of Contents

Directors and Executive Officers to Whom Stock Acquisition Rights Were Allocated

 

Name


  

Number of Stock

Acquisition Rights


Tsutomu Kanai

   30

Etsuhiko Shoyama

   30

Yoshiki Yagi

   30

Kotaro Muneoka

   30

Takashi Miyoshi

   30

Ginko Sato

   30

Hiromichi Seya

   30

Akira Chihaya

   30

Toshiro Nishimura

   30

Isao Uchigasaki

   30

Takashi Kawamura

   30

Yoshiro Kuwata

   30

Hiroshi Kuwahara

   30

Masayoshi Hanabusa

   30

Katsukuni Hisano

   25

Isao Ono

   25

Michiharu Nakamura

   25

Kazuo Furukawa

   20

Hiroaki Nakanishi

   20

Takashi Hatchoji

   20

Takuya Tajima

   15

Shigeharu Mano

   15

Kazuhiro Mori

   15

Yoshito Tsunoda

   15

Manabu Shinomoto

   15

Kazuhiro Tachibana

   15

Taiji Hasegawa

   15

Minoru Tsukada

   15

Makoto Ebata

   15

Iwao Hara

   15

Masaharu Sumikawa

   12

Shozo Saito

   12

Yasuo Sakuta

   12

Takao Suzuki

   12

Koichiro Nishikawa

   12

Masahiro Hayashi

   12

Junzo Kawakami

   8

 

Certain Employees etc. to Whom Stock Acquisition Rights Were Allocated (10 Largest)

 

Name


   Number of Stock
Acquisition Rights


Keisuke Ogawa

   15

Toshihiko Odaka

   15

Yoshiharu Obata

   15

Fumiyuki Kobayashi

   15

Akira Tonomura

   15

Jun Naruse

   15

Hiroyuki Fukuyama

   15

Masahiro Maeda

   15

Yuzo Inakazu

   10

Yoshiyuki Imoto

   10

 

Stock Acquisition Rights Issued to Certain Employees etc.

 

Category


   Number of Stock
Acquisition Rights


  

Class and Number of Shares

to Be Issued upon Exercise of

Stock Acquisition Rights


   Number of
Person


Employees of the Company

   493    493,000 shares of the Company’s common stock    48

Directors and Executive Officers of the Company’s Affiliated Companies

   —      —      —  

Corporate Auditors and Audit Committee Members of the Company’s Affiliated Companies

   —      —      —  

Employees of the Company’s Affiliated Companies

   —      —      —  

 

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Table of Contents

2. Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

     Fiscal 2004
(As of March 31, 2005)


    Fiscal 2003
(As of March 31, 2004)


 
     (Millions of yen)  

(Assets)

            

Current assets

   5,338,835     5,219,942  

Cash and cash equivalents

   708,715     764,396  

Short-term investments

   146,568     177,949  

Trade receivables

            

Notes

   132,572     142,802  

Accounts

   2,065,194     2,043,727  

Investment in leases

   526,759     451,753  

Inventories

   1,198,955     1,123,406  

Other current assets

   560,072     515,909  

Investments and advances

   894,851     908,962  

Property, plant and equipment

   2,357,931     2,232,862  

Land

   436,308     419,846  

Buildings

   1,740,057     1,690,096  

Machinery and equipment

   5,222,157     4,899,239  

Construction in progress

   57,291     49,011  

Less accumulated depreciation

   (5,097,882 )   (4,825,330 )

Other assets

   1,144,630     1,228,556  

Total assets

   9,736,247     9,590,322  
    

 

(Liabilities)

            

Current liabilities

   4,064,546     3,911,054  

Short-term debt

   676,611     623,816  

Current installments of long-term debt

   506,863     559,647  

Trade payables

            

Notes

   62,855     67,581  

Accounts

   1,246,401     1,220,033  

Accrued expenses

   843,022     797,935  

Income taxes

   61,789     78,438  

Advances received

   247,586     216,544  

Other current liabilities

   419,419     347,060  

Long-term debt

   1,319,032     1,314,102  

Retirement and severance benefits

   1,033,005     1,273,509  

Other liabilities

   90,781     124,710  

Total liabilities

   6,507,364     6,623,375  

(Minority interests)

            

Minority interests

   921,052     798,816  

(Stockholders’ equity)

            

Common stock

   282,033     282,032  

Capital surplus

   565,360     551,690  

Legal reserve and retained earnings

   1,779,198     1,760,435  

Legal reserve

   110,214     109,163  

Retained earnings

   1,668,984     1,651,272  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

   (301,524 )   (393,864 )

Treasury stock, at cost

   (17,236 )   (32,162 )

Total stockholders’ equity

   2,307,831     2,168,131  

Total liabilities, minority interests and stockholders’ equity

   9,736,247     9,590,322  
    

 

 

26


Table of Contents

Notes:

 

  (1) Basis of presentation

The consolidated financial statements presented herein, under Article 179.1 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Commercial Code of Japan, have been prepared in a manner which is necessary to conform them with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. However, under the above provision, some descriptions and notes required under the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America are omitted.

  (2) Inventories
     Finished goods, semi-finished goods and work-in-process: Lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the specific identification method or the moving average method. Raw materials: Lower of cost or market. Cost is generally determined by the moving average method.
  (3) Investments in securities
     The Company accounts for investments in securities in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 115, “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities.”

Held-to-maturity securities: Amortized cost.

Trading securities: Fair value, with unrealized gains and losses included in earnings. Cost is determined by the moving average method.

Available-for-sale securities: Fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income. Cost is determined by the moving average method.

  (4) Depreciation of fixed assets
     Property, plant and equipment: Principally depreciated by the declining-balance method, except for some assets which are depreciated by the straight-line method.
     Selling, leasing, or otherwise marketing software: Depreciated based on expected gross revenues ratably.

Software for internal use: Capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives.

  (5) The Company accounts for retirement and severance benefits in accordance with SFAS No. 87, “Employers’ Accounting for Pensions.” Unrecognized transition assets, unrecognized prior service benefit and cost, and unrecognized actual gains and losses are amortized using the straight-line method over the average remaining service period of active employees.
  (6) Consumption tax is accounted for based on the tax segregated method, under which consumption tax is excluded from presentation of revenues, cost of sales and expenses.
  (7) Goodwill and other intangible assets

The Company accounts for goodwill and other intangible assets in accordance with SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.” Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are no longer amortized, but instead are tested for impairment at least annually in accordance with the provisions of this statement.

Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized over their respective estimated useful lives and are tested for impairment in accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.”

  (8) The doubtful amount deducted from monetary receivables is JPY54,375 million.
  (9) Deferred tax assets included in “other current assets” and “other assets” are JPY295,532 million and JPY460,721 million, respectively. Deferred tax liabilities included in “other current liabilities” and “other liabilities” are JPY3,011 million and JPY25,754 million, respectively.
  (10) Accumulated other comprehensive loss of JPY301,524 million includes: loss on foreign currency exchange adjustments of JPY90,904 million, loss on minimum pension liability adjustments of JPY242,672 million, net unrealized holding gain on available-for-sale securities of JPY32,996 million and net losses on derivatives of JPY944 million.
  (11) Collateralized assets: Cash and cash equivalents of JPY117 million, short-term investments of JPY247 million, other current assets of JPY1,833 million, investments and advances of JPY112 million, land of JPY7,437 million, buildings of JPY9,053 million and machinery and equipment of JPY5,910 million.

In addition to the above, common stocks of subsidiaries with fair market value of JPY1,614 million are collateralized.

 

(12)   Notes discounted    JPY4,853 million
    Notes endorsed    JPY6,644 million
    Guarantees    JPY579,762 million

 

27


Table of Contents

3. Consolidated Statements of Operations

 

     Years ended March 31

     2005

   2004

     (Millions of yen)

Revenues

   9,027,043    8,632,450

Cost of sales

   6,961,270    6,710,154
    
  

Gross profit

   2,065,773    1,922,296

Selling, general and administrative expenses

   1,786,718    1,737,433
    
  

Operating income

   279,055    184,863

Other income

   86,408    161,170

Interest income

   13,413    12,808

Dividends income

   5,971    6,352

Other

   67,024    142,010

Other deductions

   100,957    108,884

Interest charges

   29,057    30,855

Impairment losses for long-lived assets

   26,797    26,085

Restructuring charges

   33,307    28,613

Other

   11,796    23,331
    
  

Income before income taxes and minority interests

   264,506    237,149

Income taxes

   149,990    198,655
    
  

Income before minority interests

   114,516    38,494

Minority interests

   63,020    22,618
    
  

Net income

   51,496    15,876
    
  

 

Notes:

 

  (1) Income taxes of JPY149,990 million includes current tax expense of JPY104,680 million and deferred tax expense of JPY45,310 million.
  (2) Net income per share JPY15.53

 

28


Table of Contents

4. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Supplementary Information)

 

     Years ended March 31

 
     2005

    2004

 
     (Millions of yen)  
1. Cash flows from operating activities             

Net income

   51,496     15,876  

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities

            

Depreciation

   425,080     436,053  

Deferred income taxes

   45,310     77,056  

Loss on disposal of rental assets and other property

   15,202     13,274  

(Increase) Decrease in receivables

   103,246     (187,545 )

Increase in inventories

   (95,191 )   (67,026 )

Increase (Decrease) in payables

   (53,785 )   145,234  

Other

   73,998     170,481  
    

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

   565,356     603,403  
2. Cash flows from investing activities             

Decrease in short-term investments

   47,179     10,035  

Capital expenditures

   (368,896 )   (289,753 )

Purchase of rental assets, net

   (443,570 )   (384,197 )

Proceeds from sale of investments and subsidiaries’ common stock, net

   51,221     190,716  

Collection of investment in leases

   301,614     340,376  

Other

   (114,536 )   (134,590 )
    

 

Net cash used in investing activities

   (526,988 )   (267,413 )
3. Cash flows from financing activities             

Decrease in interest-bearing debt

   (39,166 )   (320,477 )

Dividends paid to stockholders

   (34,815 )   (19,961 )

Dividends paid to minority stockholders of subsidiaries

   (16,671 )   (13,714 )

Other

   (8,777 )   (20,283 )
    

 

Net cash used in financing activities

   (99,429 )   (374,435 )

4. Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

   5,380     (25,330 )
    

 

5. Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

   (55,681 )   (63,775 )

6. Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

   764,396     828,171  
    

 

7. Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

   708,715     764,396  
    

 

 

Note: In this fiscal year, the Company classified the effect of net change in inventory-related receivables from financial services as “Cash flows from operating activities” in place of “Cash flows from investing activities.” The reclassification has also been made to the presentation of the prior year’s consolidated statement of cash flows.

 

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5. Unconsolidated Balance Sheets

 

     Fiscal 2004
(As of March 31, 2005)


    Fiscal 2003
(As of March 31, 2004)


 
     (Millions of yen)  
(ASSETS)             

CURRENT ASSETS

   1,860,523     1,909,420  

Cash

   195,463     265,201  

Notes receivable

   8,500     10,936  

Accounts receivable

   654,044     585,880  

Marketable securities

   6,218     3,319  

Money held in trust

   64,592     82,902  

Finished goods

   41,035     37,523  

Semi-finished goods

   52,387     52,343  

Raw materials

   34,766     36,610  

Work in process

   154,685     167,920  

Advances paid

   36,121     34,068  

Short-term loan receivables

   356,508     370,390  

Deferred tax assets

   109,698     86,903  

Others

   154,268     182,020  

Allowance for doubtful receivables

   (7,768 )   (6,600 )

FIXED ASSETS

   1,891,998     1,798,964  

Tangible fixed assets

   333,804     291,048  

Buildings

   124,920     114,145  

Structures

   13,129     11,507  

Machinery

   95,377     62,666  

Vehicles

   244     193  

Tools and equipment

   55,791     56,736  

Land

   41,232     43,840  

Construction in progress

   3,107     1,958  

Intangible fixed assets

   185,575     153,039  

Software

   101,523     106,753  

Railway and public utility installation

   705     729  

Others

   83,346     45,556  

Investments and others

   1,372,618     1,354,876  

Investments in affiliated companies

   1,072,717     1,048,965  

Other marketable securities of affiliated companies

   287     —    

Investments in securities

   162,794     145,334  

Long-term loan receivables

   7,551     5,606  

Deferred tax assets

   96,883     123,516  

Others

   32,393     31,816  

Allowance for doubtful receivables

   (10 )   (361 )
    

 

TOTAL ASSETS

   3,752,522     3,708,385  

 

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Table of Contents
    

Fiscal 2004

(As of March 31, 2005)


   

Fiscal 2003

(As of March 31, 2004)


 
     (Millions of yen)  

(LIABILITIES)

            

CURRENT LIABILITIES

   1,776,593     1,819,420  

Trade accounts payable

   619,376     624,281  

Short-term debt

   26,331     21,641  

Commercial paper

   30,000     20,000  

Current installments of debentures

   200,000     218,470  

Other accounts payable

   58,971     57,695  

Accrued expenses

   191,164     152,135  

Advances received from customers

   143,222     148,711  

Deposits received

   473,112     557,928  

Warranty reserve

   17,392     8,668  

Reserve for exhibition at The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan

   2,685     —    

Others

   14,338     9,888  

FIXED LIABILITIES

   610,272     515,584  

Debentures

   190,000     280,000  

Long-term debt

   224,533     54,428  

Accrued pension liability

   158,539     127,372  

Reserve for loss on repurchasing computers

   12,949     21,260  

Reserve for exhibition at The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan

   —       1,790  

Others

   24,250     30,734  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

   2,386,866     2,335,005  

(STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY)

            

CAPITAL STOCK

   282,033     282,032  

CAPITAL SURPLUS

   281,644     268,756  

Capital reserve

   268,709     268,708  

Others

   12,934     47  

Gain on disposition of treasury stock

   12,934     47  

RETAINED EARNINGS

   784,484     823,768  

Earned surplus reserve

   70,438     70,438  

Voluntary reserve

   684,491     684,444  

Reserve for software program development

   25,708     30,610  

Reserve for special depreciation

   792     1,843  

Reserve for advanced depreciation of fixed assets

   304     —    

Special reserve

   657,685     651,990  

Unappropriated retained earnings

   29,554     68,885  

UNREALIZED HOLDING GAINS ON SECURITIES

   36,607     30,983  

TREASURY STOCK

   (19,114 )   (32,162 )

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

   1,365,655     1,373,379  
    

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

   3,752,522     3,708,385  

 

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Notes:

 

(1)

   Inventories
     Finished goods, semi-finished goods and work in process: Lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the specific identification method or the moving average method.
     Raw materials: Lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the moving average method.

(2)

   Securities and money held in trust
     Investments in affiliated companies are stated at cost. Cost is determined by the moving average method. Other securities which had readily determinable fair values are stated at fair value. The difference between acquisition cost and carrying cost of other securities is recognized in “Unrealized Holding Gains On Securities.” The cost of other securities sold is computed based on a moving average method. Other securities which did not have readily determinable fair values are stated at cost determined by the moving average method.
     Money held in trust is stated at fair value.

(3)

   Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
     Buildings: Straight-line method.
     Other tangible fixed assets: Declining-balance method.
     Accumulated depreciation of tangible fixed assets: JPY976,082 million

(4)

   Depreciation of intangible fixed assets
     Selling, leasing, or otherwise marketing software: Depreciated based on expected gross revenues ratably.
     Other intangible fixed assets: Straight-line method.

(5)

   Accrued pension liability is provided for employees’ retirement and severance benefits. Such liability is determined based on projected benefit obligation and expected plan assets as of March 31, 2005.
     Unrecognized net asset of JPY34,771 million at transition is amortized by the straight-line method over 5 years. Unrecognized net assets at transition transferred on October 1, 2004, when the Company merged Hitachi Unisia Automotive, Ltd., are amortized by straight-line method over 15 years.
     Prior service cost is amortized by the straight-line method over the estimated average remaining service years of employees.
     Unrecognized actual gain or loss is amortized by the straight-line method over the estimated average remaining service years of employees from the next fiscal year.

(6)

   Reserve for exhibition at The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan is based on Article 43 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Commercial Code of Japan.

(7)

   Consumption tax is accounted for based on the tax segregated method, under which consumption tax is excluded from presentation of sales, cost of sales and expenses.

(8)

   Short-term receivables from affiliated companies    JPY730,422 million
     Long-term receivables from affiliated companies    JPY9,127 million
     Short-term payables to affiliated companies    JPY952,619 million
     Long-term payables to affiliated companies    JPY2,300 million

(9)

   The difference between acquisition cost and carrying cost of other securities in “Total Stockholders’ Equity,” under Article 124.3 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Commercial Code of Japan, amounted to JPY38,723 million.

(10)

   Rights to subscribe for new shares of the Company under Article 280-19.1 of the former Commercial Code of Japan

 

Class


   Number of shares to be issued

   Issue price per share

   Issue period

Common Stock

   184,000 shares    JPY1,451    7/27/2001 — 7/26/2005

Common Stock

   544,000 shares    JPY1,270    8/4/2002 — 8/3/2006

 

(11)

   In addition to the capitalized fixed assets, as significant equipment, the Company utilizes application software and computer manufacturing equipment under the lease arrangements.

(12)

   Guarantees                         JPY49,115 million

(13)

   The Company adopted the “Accounting Standard on Impairment of Fixed Assets” (Business Accounting Council, August 9, 2002) and the Guideline for Applying the Accounting Standard No. 6, “Guideline for Applying Accounting Standard on Impairment of Fixed Assets” (Accounting Standards Board of Japan, October 31, 2003) in fiscal 2004. Consequently, net income before income taxes for fiscal 2004 decreased by JPY19,882 million.

 

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6. Unconsolidated Statements of Operations

 

     Years ended March 31

 
     2005

    2004

 
     (Millions of yen)  

Revenues

   2,597,496     2,488,873  

Cost of sales

   2,096,204     1,999,740  
    

 

Gross profit on sales

   501,292     489,132  

Selling, general and administrative expenses

   506,986     481,584  
    

 

Operating income and loss

   (5,694 )   7,548  

Non-operating income

   87,863     61,569  

Interest and dividends

   77,422     52,641  

Others

   10,441     8,927  

Non-operating expenses

   59,886     48,934  

Interest

   11,007     12,089  

Others

   48,878     36,844  
    

 

Ordinary income

   22,282     20,183  

Extraordinary gain

   63,140     68,891  

Gain on sale of affiliated companies’ common stock

   41,874     —    

Gain on sale of investments in securities

   11,895     —    

Gain on sale of land

   9,369     7,029  

Gain on sale of affiliated companies’ common stock and investments in securities

   —       61,861  

Extraordinary loss

   66,140     10,155  

Extraordinary loss on restructuring charges

   46,258     —    

Loss on impairment of assets

   19,882     —    

Impairment loss on investments and securities

   —       10,155  
    

 

Net income before income taxes

   19,281     78,918  

Income taxes

            

Current

   (6,961 )   (61,207 )

Deferred

   15,898     100,014  
    

 

Net income

   10,344     40,111  

Unappropriared retained earnings at the beginning of the period

   37,348     37,695  

Interim dividends paid

   18,138     9,894  

Transferred retained earnings associated with corporate split

   —       972  
    

 

Unappropriated retained earnings at the end of the period

   29,554     68,885  
    

 

 

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Notes:

 

  (1) Extraordinary loss on restructuring charges of JPY46,258 million relates mainly to an impairment loss on shares held in Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Limited, an affiliated company engaging in plasma display panel operations, and expenses associated with the implementation of measures such as business reorganization, realignment and streamlining to restructure digital media operations in Japan. The figure consists of JPY36,856 million of loss on restructuring of affiliated companies and JPY7,564 million of special termination benefits, etc.
  (2) Loss on impairment of assets
  (i) Summary of long-lived assets or group of long-lived assets which recognized impairment loss

 

Use


  

Category


  

Location


Long-lived assets to be held and used    Land, buildings, software, etc.   

Suminoe-ku, Osaka

Ebina, Kanagawa

Other

Long-lived assets to be sold    Land, building, machinery, tools and equipment   

Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama

Iwaki, Fukushima

Suminoe-ku, Osaka

Long-lived assets to be abandoned    Land, building, machinery, tools and equipment   

Totsuka-ku, Yokohama

Kokubu, Kagoshima

 

  (ii) Reason to recognize loss on impairment of assets

The Company recognized the impairment loss because: irrecoverable amounts for entity-wide long-lived assets that are now designated for leasing are estimated; market price of long-lived assets to be abandoned and long-lived assets to be sold declines; irrecoverable amounts for investments in some long-lived assets to be held and used are estimated due to declining of profitability.

  (iii) Amount of impairment loss

 

Buildings    JPY6,535 million
Machinery    JPY191 million
Tools and equipment    JPY616 million
Land    JPY11,740 million
Software    JPY703 million
Other    JPY94 million
Total    JPY19,882 million

 

  (iv) Method of grouping long-lived assets

Grouping of assets are principally based on either division or place of business.

  (v) Calculation method of recoverable amounts

Calculation of recoverable amounts for long-lived assets to be held and used is based on net sales price or value in use, whichever higher, and the discount rate for calculating value in use ranges from 3.5% to 6.5%. Calculation of recoverable amounts for long-lived assets to be abandoned and long-lived assets to be sold is based on net sales price.

 

(3)

  Sales to affiliated companies    JPY881,688 million
    Purchases from affiliated companies    JPY1,590,920 million
    Non-operating transactions with affiliated companies    JPY117,222 million

(4)

  Net income per share    JPY3.12

 

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7. Appropriation of Retained Earnings

 

Appropriation of Retained Earnings

 

     Yen

Unappropriated retained earnings at the end of the period

   29,554,751,659

Reversal of reserve for software program development

   5,427,624,794

Reversal of reserve for special depreciation

   258,237,366

Reversal of reserve for advanced depreciation of fixed assets

   304,787,158

Reversal of special reserve

   20,000,000,000

Total

   55,545,400,977

Unappropriated retained earnings disposed of:

    

Cash dividends (JPY5.50 per share)

   18,323,672,587

Unappropriated retained earnings carried forward to the following period

   37,221,728,390

 

Notes:
(1) The amount of cash dividends is calculated after deducting 36,549,222 shares of treasury stock.
(2) Reserve for software program development, reserve for special depreciation and reserve for advanced depreciation of fixed assets are made in accordance with the Special Taxation Measurement Law.

 

Policy and Reasons of Appropriation of Retained Earnings

 

The Company’s dividend policy is to ensure the stable growth of dividends and to ensure the availability of sufficient internal funds for capital investment and R&D that are essential for maintaining competitiveness and improving profitability based on the Company’s medium- and long-term business plans. The Company believes that the repurchase of its shares should be undertaken, when necessary, as part of its policy on distribution to shareholders to complement the dividend payout. Such action will be taken by the Company based on a consideration of market conditions, its future capital requirement and other relevant factors.

 

For the 136th business term, the Company decided to pay the year-end dividend of 5.5 yen per share, taking into account various factors including its financial position, profit level and payout ratio, etc. The Company considers that it has enough funds for the planned capital investment and R&D in its focusing businesses and that the equity ratio keeps targeted level, although net income on unconsolidated basis sharply declined from the preceding year.

 

The Company paid the interim dividend of 5.5 yen per share on December 7, 2004.

 

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8. Transcript of Accounting Auditors’ Audit Report on Consolidated Financial Statements

 

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

 

May 18, 2005

 

To Mr. Etsuhiko Shoyama, President and Chief Executive Officer

Hitachi, Ltd.

 

Ernst & Young ShinNihon

Shitei Shain

Gyomu Shikko Shain CPA Hideo Doi

Shitei Shain

Gyomu Shikko Shain CPA Yoshikazu Aoyagi

Shitei Shain

Gyomu Shikko Shain CPA Naomitsu Hirayama

 

We have audited the consolidated balance sheet and the consolidated statement of operations of Hitachi, Ltd. for the 136th business year ended March 31, 2005 for the purpose of reporting under Article 21-32, paragraph 2 of the Law for Special Exceptions to the Commercial Code Concerning Audit, etc. of Kabushiki-Kaisha. Management of the Company is responsible for preparing such consolidated financial statements and our responsibility is to express our opinion thereon from an independent standpoint.

 

Our audit was conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in Japan. The auditing standards require us to obtain reasonable assurance whether any material misstatement exists in the consolidated financial statements or not. Our audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall consolidated financial statement presentation. We consider that as a result of our audit, we have obtained reasonable basis for expressing our opinion. The auditing procedures also include those considered necessary for the subsidiaries.

 

In our opinion, the above consolidated financial statements fairly present the financial position and the results of operations of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries in conformity with related laws, regulations and the Articles of Incorporation of the Company.

 

We have no interest in the Company which should be disclosed pursuant to the provision of the Certified Public Accountants Law.

 

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9. Transcript of Audit Committee’s Audit Report on Consolidated Financial Statements

 

AUDIT REPORT ON CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

We, the Audit Committee of the Company, audited the consolidated balance sheet and the consolidated statement of operations of the Company (hereinafter referred to as the “Consolidated Financial Statements”) during the 136th business term from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005. As a result, we hereby report as follows:

 

1. Method of Audit in Outline

 

We monitored and examined, in accordance with the audit policy, assignment of audit duties, etc., as determined by the Audit Committee, the Consolidated Financial Statements, by receiving reports or hearing from the Executive Officers, etc. and from the Company’s Accounting Auditors.

 

2. Result of Audit

 

We are of the opinion that the method and results of the audit made by the Company’s Accounting Auditors, Ernst & Young ShinNihon, are appropriate.

 

May 19, 2005

 

   

Audit Committee, Hitachi, Ltd.

   

Yoshiki Yagi (Standing)

   

Kotaro Muneoka (Standing)

   

Ginko Sato

   

Hiromichi Seya

   

Toshiro Nishimura

 

Note: Ms. Ginko Sato, Mr. Hiromichi Seya and Mr. Toshiro Nishimura are outside Directors who fulfill the qualification requirements as provided for in the proviso clause of Article 21-8.4 of the the Law for Special Exceptions to the Commercial Code Concerning Audit, etc. of Kabushiki-Kaisha (hereinafter referred to as the “Special Exceptions Law”)

 

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10. Transcript of Accounting Auditors’ Audit Report on Unconsolidated Financial Statements

 

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT

 

May 18, 2005

 

To Mr. Etsuhiko Shoyama, President and Chief Executive Officer

Hitachi, Ltd.

 

Ernst & Young ShinNihon

Shitei Shain

Gyomu Shikko Shain CPA Hideo Doi

Shitei Shain

Gyomu Shikko Shain CPA Yoshikazu Aoyagi

Shitei Shain

Gyomu Shikko Shain CPA Naomitsu Hirayama

 

We have audited the balance sheet, the statement of operations, the business report, the statement of proposed appropriation of retained earnings, and the related schedules of Hitachi, Ltd. for the 136th business year ended March 31, 2005 for the purpose of reporting under Article 21-26, paragraph 4 of the Law for Special Exceptions to the Commercial Code Concerning Audit, etc. of Kabushiki-Kaisha. With respect to the aforementioned business report and the supporting schedules, our audit was limited to those matters based on the accounting records of the Company and subsidiaries. Management of the Company is responsible for preparing such financial statements and their supporting schedules and our responsibility is to express our opinions thereon from an independent standpoint.

 

Our audit was conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in Japan. The auditing standards require us to obtain reasonable assurance whether any material misstatement exists in the financial statements and their supporting schedules or not. Our audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We consider that as a result of our audit, we have obtained reasonable basis for expressing our opinions. The auditing procedures also include those considered necessary for the subsidiaries.

 

In our opinion,

 

  (1) the balance sheet and the statement of operations fairly present the financial position and the results of operations of the Company in conformity with related laws, regulations and the Articles of Incorporation of the Company; as stated in the note 13 to the balance sheet as of March 31, 2005, the Company adopted the “Accounting Standard on Impairment of Fixed Assets” (Business Accounting Council, August 9, 2002) and the Guideline for Applying the Accounting Standard No. 6, “Guideline for Applying Accounting Standard on Impairment of Fixed Assets” (Accounting Standards Board of Japan, October 31, 2003) from this fiscal year; this change is appropriate, as an adoption of the above Accounting Standard is permitted from the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004,

 

  (2) the business report, as far as the accounting data included such report are concerned, presents fairly the status of the Company in conformity with related laws, regulations and the Articles of Incorporation of the Company,

 

  (3) the statement of proposed appropriation of retained earnings has been prepared in conformity with related laws, regulations and the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, and

 

  (4) the supporting schedules, as far as the accounting data included in such schedules are concerned, have nothing to be pointed out pursuant to the provisions of the Commercial Code.

 

 

We have no interest in the Company which should be disclosed pursuant to the provision of the Certified Public Accountants Law.

 

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11. Transcript of Audit Committee’s Audit Report on Unconsolidated Financial Statements

 

AUDIT REPORT

 

We, the Audit Committee of the Company, audited the performance by Directors and Executive Officers of their duties during the 136th business term from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005. As a result, we hereby report as follows:

 

1. Method of Audit in Outline

 

We monitored and examined the contents of the resolutions of the Board of Directors concerning the matters as listed in Article 21-7, paragraph 1, item 2 of the “Law Concerning Special Exceptions to the Commercial Code Concerning Audit, etc. of Kabushiki-Kaisha” (hereinafter referred to as the “Special Exceptions Law”) and Article 193 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Commercial Code of Japan and the system in general concerning the internal control of the Company established thereunder, and in accordance with the audit policy, assignment of audit duties, etc., as determined by the Audit Committee and in collaboration with the relevant departments, attended important meetings, received reports or heard from the Directors, Executive Officers, etc. on matters concerning the execution of their duties, inspected important decision documents, etc., made investigation into the state of activities and property at the head office and principal business offices of the Company, and received reports or heard from the subsidiaries on their business operations and made investigation into the state of their activities and property when necessary. In addition, we received from the Company’s Accounting Auditors reports on and accounts of their audit and examined the financial statements and the supporting schedules based on such reports and accounts.

 

With respect to competitive transactions by Directors or Executive Officers, transactions involving conflicting interests between Directors or Executive Officers and the Company, gratuitous offering of proprietary profits by the Company, transactions not customary in nature between the Company and its subsidiaries or shareholders, acquisition and disposition by the Company of its shares, etc., we, in addition to the aforementioned method of audit, required Directors or Executive Officers, etc. to render reports on and made a full investigation into the state of any transaction in question, whenever necessary.

 

2. Results of Audit

 

We are of the opinion:

 

(1) that the contents of the resolutions of the Board of Directors concerning the matters as listed in Article 21-7, paragraph 1, item 2 of the Special Exceptions Law and Article 193 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Commercial Code of Japan are appropriate;

 

(2) that the method and results of the audit made by the Company’s Accounting Auditors, Ernst & Young ShinNihon are proper;

 

(3) that the business report fairly presents the state of the Company in accordance with the law, regulations and the Articles of Incorporation;

 

(4) that the proposition relating to the appropriation of retained earnings has nothing to be pointed out in the light of the state of property of the Company and other circumstances;

 

(5) that the supporting schedules fairly present the matters to be stated therein and contain nothing to be pointed out; and

 

(6) that in connection with the performance by Directors or Executive Officers of their duties, including the subsidiaries’ affairs, no dishonest act or material fact of violation of laws, regulations or the Articles of Incorporation exists.

 

With respect to competitive transactions by Directors or Executive Officers, transactions involving conflicting interests between Directors or Executive Officers and the Company, gratuitous offering of proprietary profits by the Company, transactions not customary in nature between the Company and its subsidiaries or shareholders, acquisition and disposition by the Company of its shares, etc., we find no breach by Directors and Executive Officers of their duties.

 

May 19, 2005

 

    Audit Committee, Hitachi, Ltd.
   

Yoshiki Yagi (Standing)

   

Kotaro Muneoka (Standing)

   

Ginko Sato

   

Hiromichi Seya

   

Toshiro Nishimura

 

Note: Ms. Ginko Sato, Mr. Hiromichi Seya and Mr. Toshiro Nishimura are outside Directors who fulfill the qualification requirements as provided for in the proviso clause of Article 21-8.4 of the Special Exceptions Law.

 

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(Supplementary Information on Consolidated Basis)

 

Percentage to Total Revenues and Operating Income by Industry Segment

 

     Year ended March 31, 2005

 
     Revenues

   

Operating

Income


 

Information & Telecommunication Systems

   21 %   21 %

Electronic Devices

   12     12  

Power & Industrial Systems

   24     23  

Digital Media & Consumer Products

   12     3  

High Functional Materials & Components

   14     28  

Logistics, Services & Others

   12     3  

Financial Services

   5     10  
    

 

Total

   100 %   100 %
    

 

 

Note: The calculation of the percentage to total revenues and operating income by industry segment is on the basis including intersegment transactions and excluding corporate items and eliminations.

 

Revenues by Market

 

     Years ended March 31

 
     2004(A)

   2005(B)

    (B) / (A)

 
     (Billions of yen)    Percentage
to total
       

Domestic revenues

   5,654.8    5,749.6    64 %   102 %

Overseas revenues

                      

Asia

   1,212.8    1,406.8    15     116  

North America

   873.2    901.8    10     103  

Europe

   655.8    709.7    8     108  

Other Areas

   235.6    258.9    3     110  

Subtotal

   2,977.5    3,277.4    36     110  
    
  
  

     

Total

   8,632.4    9,027.0    100     105  
    
  
  

     

 

Five-Year Summary

 

     Years ended March 31

 
     2001

    2002

    2003

    2004

    2005

 
     (Billions of yen)  

Overseas revenues

   2,625.6     2,549.1     2,645.2     2,977.5     3,277.4  

Percentage to total revenues

   31 %   32 %   32 %   34 %   36 %

Capital investment (excluding leasing assets)

   541.1     414.1     328.4     296.1     382.1  

Capital investment (leasing assets)

   429.9     442.1     459.0     520.3     577.4  

R&D expenditure

   435.5     415.4     377.1     371.8     388.6  

Stockholders’ equity per share (yen)

   857     690     551     657     693  

Return on equity

   3.6 %   -18.7 %   1.3 %   0.8 %   2.3 %

 

Note: The calculation of the return on equity is based on the average of the stockholders’ equity at the beginning and at the end of each fiscal year.

 

40


Table of Contents

(Translation)

 

Hitachi, Ltd.

 

VOTING RIGHT CARD

 

I hereby exercise my voting right as indicated below in respect of the proposals put forward at the 136th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Hitachi, Ltd. to be held on June 24, 2005. In the event of any continuation or adjournment of the General Meeting, my voting right shall be exercised in accordance with my intentions as signified by my entries herein.

 

Date: June    , 2005

 

Registered seal                                                                                    

 

Number of voting rights held*                                                           

 

* A shareholder is entitled to one voting right per 1,000 shares.

 

Item No. 1   On the proposal by the Board of Directors   FOR       AGAINST
Item No. 2  

On the proposal by the Board of Directors

(Except for the nominee(s) at right) (                                             )

  FOR       AGAINST
Item No. 3   On the proposal by the Board of Directors   FOR       AGAINST

 

Notes:

  -   The absence of a “FOR” or “AGAINST” indication in respect of any proposal will be treated by Hitachi, Ltd. as an affirmative vote.
    -   With respect to Item No. 2, if you wish to disapprove any of the nominees, please mark “FOR” and write the nominee’s number assigned to the person concerned in the parentheses provided. The nominees’ numbers are provided in the Agenda in the Notice of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.
         

 

DETACH HERE

 

Please read the following before filling the Voting Right Card.

 

1. If you wish to attend the General Meeting of Shareholders, please bring the Voting Right Card with you on the day and present it at the entrance to the meeting hall.

 

2. If you do not wish to attend the General Meeting of Shareholders, please circle “FOR” or “AGAINST” in the column of each item, affix your seal in the space provided, detach and mail the card so as to be received by Hitachi, Ltd. on or before June 23, 2005.

 

Reference number of shareholder                                                                               

 

Number of shares held                                                                                                  

 

Number of shares in the share-register                                                             

 

Number of shares in the beneficiaries’ record