Central Metals (Thailand) Ltd., a group company of JFE Shoji Trade Corporation, held a "Songkran Festival" at its premises. The event was held on April 11, before the Songkran vacation, the Thai New Year. Employees wore Songkran festival flower costumes and prayed for the safety and prosperity of the company while sprinkling holy water on each other with their supervisors and colleagues.

The Songkran vacation is a three-day period from April 13 to 15, which is spent with family and traditional ceremonies and celebrations. The Songkran Festival is a traditional Thai New Year's celebration, and is meant to wash away and purify bad luck by pouring water on each other. Originally, the traditional custom of purifying the hands of Buddha images, stupas, and elders by sprinkling water on them was passed down from generation to generation, and it has also become a popular way to beat the heat during the hottest season of the year. In recent years, it has become known as a "water-splashing festival" where passersby enjoy splashing water on each other in the streets, and many tourists visit Thailand for this unique event.

This was the first time for the company to hold such an event, and it proved to be a fulfilling event that deepened the friendship between national staff and expatriates and helped to invigorate communication. We plan to continue this event as a pre-New Year's event for the company next year and beyond.