JAPEX Named Nadeshiko Brand for the Second Year in a Row

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "JAPEX") was selected as "Nadeshiko Brand 2017 (FY2016)" enterprises for the second year in a row by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) announced in March 23, 2017, and also it is the first time to mining industry of TSE being selected this brand for the second year in a row.

The Nadeshiko Brand consists of enterprises which encourage women to play active roles in the workplace (1. conducting career support for women, 2. supporting women in balancing work and family), and which were selected from Japanese enterprises listed in TSE. The Nadeshiko Brand program was inaugurated in Fiscal 2012, and this is the fifth time to be held. The Nadeshiko Brand is aiming to promote the attractive enterprises to investors who regard "increase of the corporate value in medium to long term" as important, and accelerate these enterprises' activities.

JAPEX has established the Diversity Promotion Group of Human Resource (HR) Department in March 2015 and formulated "JAPEX Diversity Policy" in January 2016, and we are continuing to promote diversity through various actions based on the policy. Particularly in promoting women's diversity, we have been held programs for helping female employees with their career development and flexible workstyle in fiscal 2016 as follows:

1. Programs to Encourage Female Employees' Career Development in Fiscal 2016

We held a career session named "Woman@J" to share experiences for developing personal career and work-life balance and workshop style seminars to encourage female employees' career development with achieving high participation rate.

1) Career Session "Woman@J"

• "Special Session" by our female Outside Director

2) Skill Up Seminars for Female Employees

• "Problem Solving Seminar" to learn the effective ways to solve problems with suggestion
• "Leadership Seminar" for making images and personal plan to be managers in future

3) Seminar for Male Managers

• "Seminars for Female Subordinates Development" for learning effective management skills to motivate female employees on their career development

2. Summer Campaign for Workstyle Transformation in July to September, 2016

We ran "Summer Campaign for Workstyle Transformation" following last year for improving working efficiency and raising corporate awareness of work-life balance to create corporate culture. In fiscal 2016, we introduced a trial of flextime system to work for accelerating flexible and efficient work including reducing overtime work hours. To promote using this trial system, we held learning programs helping to deepen understanding of time management.

1) Trial of Flextime System

• For employees including temporary workers in headquarters, research center, local district offices in Japan
• Each employees can manage their working hours based on core time (10:00-15:00 ) and monthly total working hours

2) Learning Programs of Time Management

• Held a time management seminar by outside instructors
• Provided e-learning programs of time management
• Organized the task force team for workstyle transformation and shown a proposal of principles for effective meetings by them

Further, we extended its trial term after ending the campaign on the end of September, and decided to start the flextime system officially in April, 2017 with consideration of employees survey research result, prospect of reducing overtime working hours based on actual results, and others.

JAPEX will continue to recruit and promote women, foreigners, and other diverse human resources, and we will revise our HR systems appropriately in order to promote successful work of all each employee. Moreover, we will hold training on diversity, work-life balance and career development, and awareness events.