News Release Dated November 30, 2011 Company: Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. Representative: Takeaki Hirabayashi, President and CEO Stock code: 4323, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Second Section Contact: Noriaki Okado, Director and CFO Tel: +81-6-4560-1000 The Launch of the Kyoto Zen Temple Tour Navigation Service for Rinzai and Obaku School Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. has launched the Kyoto Zen Temple Tour navigation service that provides a variety of information about Rinzai and Obaku school temples. The details are as per attached. The earnings forecast announced on May 11, 2011 already incorporates the expected contribution to performance from the launch of this service.
NEWS RELEASE Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. November 30, 2011 The Launch of the Kyoto Zen Temple Tour Navigation Service for Rinzai and Obaku School Temples Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. (JAST) has launched a Kyoto Zen Temple Tour navigation service that takes advantage of the company s business alliances with The Institute for Zen Studies and Wagousya Corporation in the business involving the Rinzai and Obaku schools. The Institute for Zen Studies was formed in 1964 as a public-service organization by its first director Mumon Yamada (president emeritus of Hanazono University) and its first chairman Jikai Murakami (former chief priest at Kinkakuji). The mission of the institute is to perform research involving the Rinzai and Obaku schools, with the assistance of these schools, and publicize the results of this research. Wagousya already had a business alliance with The Institute for Zen Studies. Under this alliance, Wagosya performs planning, marketing and operations for business activities of the temples and provides support services for purposes that include preserving traditional cultures, encouraging the temples progress and maintaining stability of the lives of priests. By forming alliances with these two companies, JAST can conduct this new business in a comprehensive manner. In addition, JAST plans to start a fee-based service in order to expand and upgrade this new service. Background The Rinzai and Obaku schools of Zen Buddhism have 15 head temples and about 6,200 branch temples in Japan and a total of about 1.16 million followers. The two schools use zazen (seated meditation), koans (paradoxical anecdotes), dokyo (sutra readings), samu (manual labor in the monastery) and other training to enable people to achieve awareness (kensho) of the dignified and pure humanity (bussho, Buddhist nature) that is within everyone. The two schools came to Japan from China in the Kamakura Era (1192-1333). Their beliefs gained rapid acceptance among high-ranking officials and successive shoguns as well as the samurai class. A number of temples were constructed by the contributions from or under the patronage of these followers. As a result, many of these temples are important national treasures because of their buildings and various decorations and other holdings. About half of the main temples of the two schools are in Kyoto. As an internationally-renowned tourist destination with many priceless historic and cultural sights, including some world heritage-listed temples, shrines and other locations, Kyoto attracts about 50 million tourists every year from Japan and overseas. Most of the tourists in Kyoto tend to visit the small number of famous temples and shrines that are listed in magazines and guide books. Actually there are more than 60 temples in Kyoto that tourists can visit, including some that are accessible for only limited times, and many of these temples are closely linked to famous people in Japanese history. Nevertheless, most visitors to Kyoto are unaware of these temples. In addition, information about these 1/4
temples is limited mostly to brochures that come with entrance tickets and signs at the temples. So it is difficult to obtain overall information about a particular location. These two schools also perceive that temples are often not so serious about practising koyo (teaching visitors the core beliefs of their respective schools), as they are expected to do in principle, as well as their school histories and the deep inner meaning of the Zen culture. In response to this situation, JAST designed, developed and started the operation of this service based on a plan created by The Institute for Zen Studies and Wagosya. JAST also created this service by making use of its information and telecommunication technology expertise. Overview of the new service The new service is an application used in Android smartphones to distribute a variety of information about main and other temples of the Rinzai and Obaku schools in Kyoto city and nearby areas. Several similar applications are available, but most of them supply information about only a few famous temples. Consequently, these applications are not very effective at increasing the number of followers of the Rinzai and Obaku schools, which is one objective of these schools. With the full support of the Rinzai and Obaku schools, this new service supplies overall information about the schools rather than focusing merely on selected locations: This makes it possible for users of the service to access much more information about the two schools and makes it easy to access this information. For example, by choosing from the menu of this service, users can see photographs of Buddha statues, paintings and other important items at temples that were previously available only in certain magazines. Users can also read sermons by instructors that are updated monthly and see a glossary of Zen terms. Furthermore, the service distributes on a real-time basis information about special events, ceremonies and other events. Providing this information is also intended to attract more people to the temples and thereby contribute to popularizing the Zen culture. Name of service Kyoto Zen-dera Meguri (Tour of Zen Temples in Kyoto) Start of service (1) Start of operations: November 1, 2011 (2) Planned start of fee-based service: December 20, 2011 Features of the service (1) Comprehensive information about Rinzai and Obaku school temples in the Kyoto area With the supervision of The Institute for Zen Studies and the cooperation of the temples, JAST provides a comprehensive range of information about Rinzai and Obaku school temples while using a variety of formats. Conventional information services distribute information from the standpoint of people who visit the temples. However, the JAST service provides more thorough information by taking advantage of the oversight of The Institute for Zen Studies and the cooperation of the temples. For instance, people can obtain precious information about the history of temple gates and gardens, the lives of the priests who founded the temples, the people who created the paintings, and the significance of cultural items. 2/4
(2) A source of information about both famous Rinzai and Obaku school temples and many other smaller temples This new service supplies information about main temples and other famous temples of the two schools as well as about other smaller temples in the surrounding areas. Until now, information about these smaller temples was usually available only in pamphlets that are distributed to paying visitors and signs at the temples. However, many smaller temples are historically important or have important treasures on display that cannot be seen at a main temple. Making this information available will meet the needs of highly interested visitors and help raise awareness of Zen and the Zen culture. Consequently, this service will play a role in revitalizing smaller temples and surrounding areas. (3) Sharp and vibrant photographs can be viewed anywhere and anytime The quality of displays on smartphones is a major reason that JAST decided to offer the new service exclusively on this platform. JAST plans to post photographs of temple treasures (Buddha statues, paintings, etc.), photographs of gardens, photographs showing the temple in different seasons of the year, and other images. The new service is therefore available only on smartphones in order to present these beautiful photographs in the most attractive and realistic manner possible. JAST plans to add photographs and other visual content to the service as these items become available. (4) Sermons by instructors and explanations of Zen terminology Users of the new service can view houwa (Buddhist sermons-monthly additions are in preparation) given by qualified instructors of the two schools. Zen terminology that comes from Zen riddles and answers are an important element of the Zen culture that the general public can be interested in. The new service will provide explanations of these terms and update the terms every month. (5) A quiz format is used to make it easy to learn more about Zen A Zen quiz prepared by The Institute for Zen Studies is used to test the users knowledge about Zen. By answering questions selected at random from a list of 100 questions, people can gain an understanding of Zen in an enjoyable manner. (6) Application improvements and future plans The new service targets users of smartphones, which have many capabilities that are similar to PCs, unlike conventional feature phones. JAST plans to effectively utilize these capabilities to provide even more advanced applications. Plans also include forming tie-ups with transportation companies, local government events, travel agencies, hotels and tourist information centers. The aim is to expand this service into a comprehensive portal specializing in the Zen culture. 3/4
Overview of the fee-based service JAST plans to start offering the following services that will require the payment of a fee. (1) Audio guides for buildings, treasures and other items will be added as part of information available for selected temples (2) Access to additional information about the treasures of temples as part of information available for selected temples (3) For the Zen quiz, JAST plans to add a Shugyo Mode (a training mode with more difficult questions) that incorporates specialized knowledge. The free stamp function campaign that began with the introduction of this service will end with the launch of fee-based services. Inquiries Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. Sales Department, Western Japan Software Division TEL: +81-6-4560-1010 (Osaka) (Contact: Masanobu Takahashi) URL: http://www.jast.jp/ (website of Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd.) Smartphone: A multifunction cell phone with a PDA function. Most smartphones use ios or Android OS. Feature phone: A multifunction cell phone that differs from smartphones in the level of functions and has certain features that is designed for use mainly in Japan. Android: A platform operating system for mobile devices that was announced in November 2007 by Google Inc. 4/4