Accordingly, in early July 2022, based on discussions with the Target Company and the
Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate, the Tender Offeror made an initial proposal to the Target Company for implementation of a series of transactions under which the Tender Offeror will acquire all of the Target Company Shares (excluding, however,
the Target Company Shares owned by the Tender Offeror and the treasury shares owned by the Target Company) through the Tender Offer and the Procedures to Make the Target Company a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary, and make the Target Company a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Tender Offeror, and then the Tender Offeror will acquire all of the Target Companys shares in Goshi Giken and sell the Target Company Shares to the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate (the Proposal). Further, in
late July 2022, the Tender Offeror notified the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate that it will accept the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidates participation in the second-round bidding process (the Second-round Bidding
Process).
On the other hand, according to the Target Company, in preparation for the commencement of its initial consideration and
discussion with the Tender Offeror, the Target Company appointed Anderson Mori & Tomotsune (Anderson Mori & Tomotsune) as a legal advisor independent of the Tender Offeror, the Target Company, and Goshi Giken in the
middle of March 2022, and SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. (SMBC Nikko Securities) as a financial advisor and third-party valuation organization independent of the Tender Offeror, the Target Company, and Goshi Giken in the middle of June 2022,
in order to ensure the fairness of the purchase price per Target Company Share under the Tender Offer (the Tender Offer Price) and other terms of the Transaction, as well as to prepare for the
First-round Bidding Process. Further, upon receipt of the Proposal from the Tender Offeror in early July 2022, the Target Company also established a special committee on August 2, 2022, as an advisory
body for its board of directors to consider the Proposal.
Then, the Tender Offeror, with the approval of the Target Company, conducted due
diligence on the Target Company and Goshi Giken from early July 2022 to early October 2022. Further, the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate, with the approval of the Tender Offeror and the Target Company, also conducted due diligence on the Target
Company and held interviews and so on with the Tender Offeror and the Target Company from the middle of August 2022 to late October 2022 in order to make further analysis and consideration regarding acquisition of the Target Company Shares. Further,
from the middle of August 2022, the Tender Offeror, the Target Company, and the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate repeated discussions regarding, among other matters, the purpose of the Transaction, including the Tender Offer, management
structures and policies after the Transaction, and various conditions of the Transaction, with the aim of further enhancing the Target Companys corporate value. During the course of the discussions, in the middle of October 2022, the Tender
Offeror, the Target Company, and the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate agreed on the following matters: (i) the Tender Offeror will implement the Tender Offer; and (ii) the structure shown in Structure of the
Transaction in (1) Overview of the Tender Offer above will be adopted, including the Tender Offeror continuing to hold 19.0% of the Target Companys voting rights after the completion of the Transaction. Regarding the
Tender Offeror continuing to hold 19.0% of the Target Companys voting rights after the completion of the Transaction, it was agreed based on the common understanding reached by the Tender Offeror, the Target Company, and the Ultimate Strategic
Partner Candidate that in order to efficiently enhance the Target Companys corporate value, it would be beneficial to facilitate smooth alignment between the Target Company and the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate by the Tender Offeror
continuing to hold the Target Company Shares, as the Tender Offeror had been conducting business operation in close alignment with the Target Company over a long period of time as the Target Companys parent company and an important trading
counterparty.
Thereafter, on November 24, 2022, by comprehensively considering factors including (i) the preliminary valuation
analysis of the Target Company Shares by Mizuho Securities based on (a) the Target Companys business plan for the fiscal year ending in March 2023 to the fiscal year ending in March 2025 submitted by the Target Company and (b) the
results of the due diligence, (ii) the transition of the market share price of the Target Company Shares, and (iii) the financial situation of the Target Company, and based on the results of discussions between the Tender Offeror and the
Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate, the Tender Offeror provided the Target Company with a written proposal that proposed that the Tender Offer Price be set at 828 Japanese yen (i.e., an amount that includes the following premiums: 3.37% on the
closing price of the Target Company Shares of 801 Japanese yen on the Standard Market of the TSE as of November 22, 2022 (the business day immediately preceding the proposal date); 14.05% on the simple average of the closing price of 726 Japanese
yen for one month immediately preceding and up to November 22, 2022 (any fraction is rounded off to the nearest whole number; hereinafter the same applies to the calculation of simple average of closing prices); 20.35% on the simple average of the
closing price of 688 Japanese yen for three months immediately preceding and up to the same date; and 23.77% on the simple average of the closing price of 669 Japanese yen for six months immediately preceding and up to the same date (any fraction is
rounded off to two decimal places; hereinafter the same applies to the calculation of premiums and discounts)). In response, on December 2, 2022, the Target Company requested in writing that the Tender Offeror propose the Tender Offer Price
again, stating that the proposed price was below the sufficient level for the Target Companys minority shareholders; thus, on December 14 of the same year, the Tender Offeror made a written proposal setting the Tender Offer Price at 1,006
Japanese yen (i.e., an amount that includes the following premiums: 1.82% on the closing price of the Target Company Shares of 988 Japanese yen on the Standard Market of the TSE as of December 13, 2022 (the business day immediately preceding
the proposal date); 13.67% on the simple average of the closing price of 885 Japanese yen for one month immediately preceding and up to December 13, 2022; 35.40% on the simple average of the closing price of 743 Japanese yen for three months
immediately preceding and up to the same date; and 42.90% on the simple average of the closing price of 704 Japanese yen for six months immediately preceding and up to the same date). Then, on December 16, 2022, the Target Company requested in
writing that the Tender Offeror consider setting the Tender Offer Price at 1,645 Japanese yen, stating that the proposed price was still below the sufficient level for the Target Companys minority shareholders. As discussions between the
Tender Offeror and the Ultimate Strategic Partner Candidate, on the terms of the Transaction had reached a standstill and were not progressing, the Tender Offeror decided not to present a next proposal for the Tender Offer Price until there was some
progress in the discussions. In early February 2023, the Tender Offeror verbally notified the Target Company of this decision.
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