Asahi YOU. US, Ltd. which Sells Products and Provides Services that Contribute to Realizing a Sustainable Society to Start Operations January 1, 2022

■ Background to the launch of operations of Asahi YOU. US, Ltd.

• The Asahi Group conducts business while utilizing the “blessings of nature,” and is reinforcing sustainability efforts to hand down abundant nature to future generations. As sustainability is the core of its business, the Asahi Group aims to create a new stage leading to business growth and to be recognized by the society of the future as well.
• Consumer awareness and behavior are greatly changing. The way of thinking of fusing social value and economic value, and the environmental business and social business markets are rapidly expanding.
• The Asahi Group is building an organization in Japan to flexibly and quickly engage in new businesses together with outside stakeholders, and resolving local social issues through sustainable products and services.
• By advancing new sustainability businesses, the Asahi Group is making every effort to co-create a future with “fun, great taste, and comfort” and to achieve a sustainable and enrichedsociety.

■ Business Contents

①Development and sales of sustainable products
＊Company direct-sales EC site “Asahi YOU US Mall” to be established from January 2022.

Product name	Product features
Tumbler in the Forest	“Tumbler in the Forest” is an eco-cup which was jointly developed with Panasonic Corporation as a non-disposable beverage container with the goal of reforming “throw-away” consumer behavior itself. The cup is made using high-concentration cellulose fiber molding material developed by Panasonic as a raw material, as well as thinning lumber and roasted malt that were previously disposed.
Mogu-cup	Mogu-cup is an edible cup which was developed together with Marushige Seika Co., Ltd. The cup is made using domestic potato starch as the raw material, which is baked and hardened under high temperature and high pressure so that the water resistanceis increased and liquids placed inside the cup hardly leak. The cups themselves are seasoned with shrimp cracker, chocolate, and other flavors.

②Production and sales of sustainable drinks

Product name	Product features
Kuramae BLACK	Jointly created with ECOALF, etc. Kuramae BLACK is the first product from the UPCYCLE B project which proposes a sustainable lifestyle to the next generation and creates regional, circular, and ecological spheres. This is a “coffee craft” beer using waste coffee beans as the raw material. The extracted coffee is added to stout beer after it has been brewed, and the product is finished with an alcohol content of 4.5%. Kuramae BLACK features the fruity aroma of coffee beans, a mild acidity, and a bitter taste like bitter chocolate. It is sold at Asahi Group restaurants in Japan.
Kuramae WHITE	Kuramae WHITE is the second product from the UPCYCLE B project. This is a “bread craft” beer which uses dried unused bread crust from making sandwiches as a raw material. The bread crust is provided by the Marcelino Mori bread and sandwich store in the Kuramae district of Tokyo, and the beer is manufactured at the Asahi Group’s craft brewery. Kuramae WHITE is a Weizen-type beer made from bread crust and wheat, and has an alcohol content of 5.0%. It has a mild taste with the roasted aroma of bread crust and the fruity aroma of wheat. It is sold at Asahi Group restaurants in Japan.

③Coordination of the construction of sustainable networks through the above-listed contents.

■ Origin of the company name

The company name suggests the meaning of “co-creation by You and Us” and “create tomorrow together with you.” The name also evokes the sounds of Japanese words meaning “morning,” “evening,” and “tomorrow,” and expresses the image of cyclical nature.

■ Comment from President and Representative Director Shifumi Takamori

At the Asahi Group, we are aiming to be “a business group that is recognized by the future society for its high value by pursuing a model that builds value together with all our stakeholders.” To those ends, it is essential to place sustainability at the core of management and to build up a business model whereby resolving social issues is also the source of profits.
　We recognize upholding both the group’s future business growth and the realization of a sustainable society, have entered the stage of concretely incorporating these in our strategy and implementing them, and are embracing the challenge of new businesses with the objective to resolve social issues.
　Asahi YOU US is a new company which engages in businesses that revolve around nature, people, and health. Our vision is to create the “fun, great taste and comfort” from the cycles of nature, people, and health, and link these to the future. To achieve this, we are developing “business activities through which we can see people enjoying together” where the choice of products and services alone benefits communities and which contribute to a better tomorrow for someone.

■ Company Outline

Company name	Asahi YOU. US, Ltd.
President and Representative Director	Shifumi Takamori
Date of start of operations	January 1, 2022
Capital	30 million JPY
Address	1-23-1 Azumabashi, Sumida Ward, Tokyo
Number of employees	8