CEO Video Message #2

Hello, everyone. I would like to begin by saying that I hope you and your families
are well and healthy during this uncertain time.

In the weeks since my last message, the COVID‐19 pandemic has caused
increasingly rapid and unprecedented changes in countries around the world. We
have all seen borders, schools and nonessential businesses such as restaurants
temporarily close. Working parents, who already have one of the toughest jobs in
the world, have in some cases begun working from home while at the same time
acting as teachers for their children. Healthcare workers, grocery store employees
and other essential job functions are serving as critical and stabilizing forces in our
communities.

And importantly, so are all of you: More than 34,000 of you across the globe,
working hard and doing their best each day to ensure our products and services
continue to be available to the consumers and customers who depend on us.

We are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for you, and
by extension for your families and the communities where you live. And we will
continue to take every precaution to ensure our production and distribution
chains limit the spread of contagion as much as possible.

As a global health and wellness company, we also take seriously our responsibility
to society – now more than ever. The Ajinomoto Group is providing support and
direct solutions in response to this pandemic. Let me tell you about a few of the
things we are doing.

Given the importance of good hygiene in preventing the spread of the
coronavirus, our factories around the world have ramped up development and
production of the raw materials needed for detergents. This includes the amino
acid‐based anionic surfactant “Amilite,” used in hand soaps, and the amino acidbased
cationic surfactant “CAE,” used in hand sanitizers. We are also fulfilling a
significant volume of orders of amino acids in the United States and other
countries, which are expected to support in the development of a coronavirus
vaccine and medicines.

Here in Japan, as in most places around the world, there is an urgent need for
more COVID19 testing kits. To that end, we have ramped up production of PCR
primers, a key material in one of our customer’s diagnostic test kits being used in
Japan.

We are also supporting frontline healthcare workers through the donation of
Cystine and Theanine to multiple hospitals in Japan. As you know, this product
supports the immune system. So far, 1,000 boxes of Cystine and Theanine have
been delivered to support vital hospital staff.

We will continue to look for ways to partner with governments and our customers
to support the global fight against COVID19.

I am proud of the important work we are doing across the Ajinomoto Group
network. And I appreciate your continued commitment and collaboration despite
the existence of unprecedented personal and professional challenges. In the
weeks and months ahead, I will continue to share regular updates about the
actions we are taking in response COVID19.

In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and do not hesitate to reach out
to your managers/HR if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Takaaki Nishii
Representative Director,
President & CEO
Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Apr 24, 2020