In late November, we signed an agreement to build a long-term collaborative relationship with Educar Holdings, a company based in the Philippines.The signing ceremony was held at a hotel in Kumamoto Prefecture, where the company's headquarters are located.

Representatives from both companies spoke about their thoughts on the project at a venue offering a panoramic view of the landmark Kumamoto Castle.

This is the first attempt at a franchise business.

After visiting one of our stores in Japan, we were approached and this marked the start of a new challenge.

The store is scheduled to open in the Philippines next year or later.

In the future, we will focus on training local staff and providing management support, aiming to expand our stores within the Philippines while maintaining the current service quality and providing even higher levels of customer satisfaction.