Basic Policy

Based on our corporate philosophy of contributing to the development of society by providing trusted and high-quality marine transportation services, our Group strives for its sustainable growth and to improve corporate value over the medium to long term while responding to the expectations and earning the trust of shareholders, customers, and all other stakeholders. To this end, we developed corporate governance systems suited to the characteristics of our Group's operations.

 

These systems are continuously reviewed and improved, with a focus on enhancing the efficiency, soundness, and transparency of corporate management.

Corporate Governance System

As a company with company auditors (board of company auditors) as defined in Japan’s Companies Act, the Company, to enhance its monitoring and supervisory functions and ensure the transparency and soundness of its corporate management, has established the Audit & Supervisory Board comprised of members duly authorized to monitor corporate management.


The majority of the Audit & Supervisory Board members are appointed from outside the Company. The Audit & Supervisory Board members supervise the execution of duties by Directors from an independent standpoint and cooperate with the independent accounting auditor and the Internal Audit Office. Furthermore, for the purpose of bolstering the neutrality, objectivity, and accountability of the Board of Directors, more than one third of its members are independent outside directors and the Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee has been established to have the majority of its members being outside directors.


Looking to increase the transparency of management and enable a range of stakeholders to understand the Group’s management situation correctly, we are committed to enhancing information disclosure activities by disclosing accurate financial and non-financial information in a timely manner as well as in a way that is easy-to-understand, which exceeds both the legal requirements and the rules of financial instrument exchanges.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors, discusses and decides on basic policy and the most important matters connected with Group management. The Board of Directors decides matters guided by the law and the articles of incorporation and critical management issues defined in the discussion standards in our Regulations of Board of Directors. Furthermore, it is the body that supervises business operations. As a rule, the Board of Directors meets once per month.
The Board of Directors includes internal directors, including the chairperson, the president, and outside directors. Independent outside directors now account for one-third of the members.

Board of Executive Officers

In accordance with the basic policy decided on the Board of Directors, the Board of Executive Officers, as a rule, meets weekly to deliberate and decide on important matters related to business execution and management and to coordinate in advance the matters to be discussed by the Board of Directors. It includes executive officers selected by the Board of Directors, including the chairperson and the president /executive officer.

Audit & Supervisory Board

The Audit & Supervisory Board wields the authority required by law, organizes Audit & Supervisory Board meetings, defines auditing standards, and performs effective audits of the legality and the reasonableness of operations by directors, executive officers, and employees. Specifically, members attend meetings of the Board of Directors and the Board of Executive Officers, as well as important meetings and committee sessions. The Audit & Supervisory Board strives to identify management issues, to assess business conditions, to prevent violations of laws and the articles of incorporation, and performs accurate and effective audits.

Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee

The Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee was established as an advisory body serving the Board of Directors to improve neutrality, objectivity, and accountability of the functions of the Board of Directors when making decisions on nominations and compensation for the directors.

 

The committee comprises five directors, including the president, the majority of whom are independent outside directors, and it is chaired by an independent outside director. The Committee members are selected based on a resolution of the Board of Directors.

Independence Criteria for Outside Directors and Auditors

The Company has established the following Independence Criteria for Outside Directors and Outside Auditors.

Skill Matrix

Skills required for the Board of Directors

Skills expected of the board members

Inside Director

Outside Director

Kazuma Yamanaka

Noriko Miyamoto

Toru Fujita

Shinichi Kitazato

Kiyoshi Kanemitsu

Setsu

Onishi

(Independ-ent)

Ryuko

Inoue

(Independ-ent)

Masako

Yoshida

(Independ-ent)

M
a
n
a
g
e
m
e
n
t

Corporate manage-

ment

Market & business

Worksite & technolo-

gies

(including ICT)

I
n
d
e
p
e
n
d
e
n
t

Accounting

&Finance

Governance,

Risk

Manage-

ment,

Compliance

Human

resources

Manage-

ment

Sustaina-

bility

Customer

Relations

E
x
p
e
r
i
e
n
c
e

Overseas

assignment

(global)

Employ-

ment at

another

company

(Internal

Director)

Manage-

ment

experience

(Outside

Director)

FY2023 Attendance of Board of Directors, Audit and Supervisory Board, Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee etc. (As of June 2024)

Title

Name

Board of Directors

Audit and Supervisory Board

Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee

Attendance

Attendance percentage (%)

Attendance

Attendance percentage (%)

Attendance

Attendance percentage (%)

Committee

Representative Director

Kazuma Yamanaka*1

14/14

100

-

-

3/3

100

Directors

Noriko Miyamoto*2

10/10

100

-

-

-

-

-

Directors

Toru Fujita

14/14

100

-

-

-

-

-

Directors

Shinichi Kitazato

14/14

100

-

-

4/4

100

Directors

Kiyoshi Kanemitsu*3

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Outside directors

(Independent)

Setsu Onishi

14/14

100

-

-

4/4

100

Outside directors

(Independent)

Ryuko Inoue*2

10/10

100

-

-

3/3

100

Outside directors

(Independent)

Masako Yoshida*2

10/10

100

-

-

3/3

100

Audit & Supervisory Board Member(full-time)

Toru Kihira*3

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member

Shohei Yamamoto

14/14

100

15/15

100

-

-

-

Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member

(Independent)

Keisuke Takegahara*3

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member

Tomomi Mori*3

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

  1. As he was appointed as a member of the Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee on June 28, 2023, the number of his attendance is fewer.
  2. Number of meetings of the Board of Directors, Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee and the Board of Corporate Auditors since June 28, 2023.
  3. Attendance is not listed because he took office on June 26, 2024.

Results of Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Board of Directors

Every year since fiscal year 2015, we have been conducting a questionnaire administered to all directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Board of Directors. The results for this fiscal year were again shared with the Board of Directors.

 

The study found that the composition, roles, and operation of the Board of Directors were functioning appropriately, and the Board of Directors overall was effective, while also recognizing the achievements and issues as noted below. We will strive to further bolster the effectiveness of the Board of Directors by continually working on the issues that were identified.

Evaluation

  • Certain improvements were made, including reducing the number of agenda items for the Board of Directors and securing time for discussion, through changes to the regulations (agenda criteria).

 

Issues

  • Management of the progress of the new medium-term business plan
  • Additional promotion and implementation of DX strategies
  • Planning business operations and investments in fleet development in anticipation of a transition toward decarbonization
  • Further improvement regarding the operation of Board meetings in order to increase the quality of deliberations, such as by the preparation of concise and clear-cut agenda documents, sharing of information in advance, and provision of necessary materials

Executive Compensation

Policy for Deciding Compensation

(a) Basic composition of compensation, etc.

Compensation for directors is designed to ensure consistency with management strategies so that it functions sufficiently as a sound incentive to enhance corporate value. Specifically, the compensation consists of fixed compensation, performance-based bonuses (executive bonuses) reflecting business performances for the fiscal year, and performance-based stock purchase compensation that reflects medium- and longterm increases in corporate value. Performance-based compensation, which consists of executive bonuses and stock purchase compensation, is designed to account for at most roughly 40% of total compensation.

(b) Fixed compensation

Fixed compensation Fixed compensation is paid in cash each month, with a standard amount established based on the director's position, taking into consideration the capabilities and responsibilities required of directors in the shipping industry.

(c) Performance-based executive bonuses

Performance-based executive bonuses Bonuses are linked to dividends per share and evaluations reflecting safe navigation performance for each term and are paid in cash as compensation linked to short-term performance. This is based on dividend policies and the assumption of paying a certain percentage or more special allowances (bonuses) to employees.

(d) Share purchase compensation

Share purchase compensation Share purchase compensation is paid as compensation linked to medium- and long-term performance. This compensation is linked to the degree of achievement of the medium-term business plan, such as operating income and return on equity (ROE), as well as overall evaluation that reflects the Company’s market capitalization and ESG indicators, etc. It aligns directors' interests with the interests of shareholders. Directors provide amounts equivalent to the stock purchase compensation they receive to the directors' shareholding association, purchasing stocks through the association.

(e) Compensation for outside directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members

Compensation for outside directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members Outside directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members are only paid fixed compensation since they are responsible for performing audits and providing advice regarding the Company and the entire Group's management from a position independent of business operations. Outside director compensation is decided by resolution of the Board of Directors, and Audit & Supervisory Board member compensation is decided through deliberation by Audit & Supervisory Board members.

Procedures for Deciding Compensation

Compensation for directors is determined by the Board of Directors based on inquiries to and advice from the Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee. The Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee examines the appropriateness of calculated executive compensation, and reports its findings to the Board of Directors. At the same time, the Board of Directors determines the amount of compensation for each individual director based on the report of the Nomination and Compensation Advisory Committee by confirming that the method and content of the decision are consistent with the decision policy resolved by the Board of Directors.

Directors

Total fixed compensation

(compensation for outside directors)

¥205 million

(¥31 million)

12 persons

(5 persons)

Total performancebased compensation

¥75 million

6 persons

Audit & Supervisory

Board Members

Total fixed compensation 

(compensation for outside Audit & Supervisory Board members)

¥45 million

(¥40 million)

4 persons

(3 persons)

The total amount of fixed compensation for Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board members indicated above includes the amount paid to three Directors and one Audit & Supervisory Board member who retired on June 28, 2023, at the close of the 97th Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting held on the same day. One unpaid Director and one Audit & Supervisory Board member are not included in these figures.