Canon U.S.A. Celebrates Earth Day 2005; Management and Employees Embrace Commitment to Sustainable Society; New National Environmental Education Initiative and Programs with Yellowstone, EPA, Others in the Spirit Of ''Kyosei''

Business Wire, April 7, 2005

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. -- Canon U.S.A. will commemorate Earth Day and the company's commitment to a sustainable environment with employees at its Long Island, New York, headquarters on Friday, April 22. Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in digital imaging and a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ).

The Canon Earth Day celebration will feature participation by Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Park Foundation (Eyes on Yellowstone is made possible by Canon--an educational and research program), NATURE Series with PBS (supported by Canon U.S.A. since 1990), the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program (the only program that encourages doctoral students to conduct innovative research on scientific problems critical to national parks) and Canon Envirothon (North America's largest high school environmental education competition).

Canon also is supporting a new national initiative introduced earlier this year and described as the single largest environmental education event in U.S. history. National Environmental Education Week, April 10-16, will involve thousands of educators and millions of students. It will enhance the educational impact of Earth Day and create a full week of environmental education preparation, learning and activities in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, museums and aquariums.

EE Week is coordinated by the National Environmental Education & Training Foundation in cooperation with hundreds of environmental education organizations, education associations, and state and federal agencies. For more information: www.EEWeek.org

Organizations from Canon's Long Island headquarters region that will participate in the company's Earth Day events include the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay, Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium, The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, and the Long Island Envirothon.

Canon's recycling, waste reduction and environmental conservation programs have been developed in the spirit of the company's philosophy of kyosei--all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future.

In 1990, Canon created the first worldwide toner cartridge collection and recycling program for printers and copiers. In the U.S., Canon has forged relationships with many national and regional organizations at the vanguard of environmental conservation and education.

This year's Earth Day events will celebrate the 2005 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year -Manufacturer award that Canon received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This award recognized Canon's outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by designing and promoting energy-efficient products.

The Earth Day celebration also will mark the beginning of a new season for the Canon Clean Earth Crew. Through this program, Canon employees volunteer their time for conservation efforts at parks, beaches and nature preserves in communities nationwide. Since 1996, Canon employees have volunteered thousands of hours to maintain these public areas.

Canon operations in Atlanta, Washington DC, and Irvine and San Jose in California also will commemorate Earth Day with various activities during April.

Information about Canon's many programs around the world can be found in the Canon Sustainability Report 2004 at: http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedata/AboutCanon/ciwenpublnk.html

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company, Canon Inc., (NYSE: CAJ) is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

The following describes a few of the many Canon U.S.A. environmental programs and alliances.

An educational and research program, Eyes on Yellowstone is made possible by Canon. Funding for the Yellowstone Park Foundation (www.ypf.org) assists with important scientific research and breaks new ground in conservation, endangered species protection and the application of cutting-edge science and technology that is essential to managing park wildlife and ecosystems. Canon technology also is used for education to increase public access to the wonder and magic of one of the most recognizable and popular parks in the world (www.windowsintowonderland.org) and to raise awareness about the importance of environmental protection and conservation.

Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program develops the next generation of scientists working in the fields of conservation, environmental science and park management. It is the first and only program of its kind to encourage doctoral students to conduct innovative research on scientific problems critical to national parks. Established in 1997, the program expanded in 2002 to include students and national parks throughout the Americas. These scientists will learn, discover, invent and create solutions to preserve the national parks in the 21st Century. The program is underwritten and supported by Canon U.S.A. Other collaborating organizations are the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Park Service (USNPS). For more information: www.nature.nps.gov/canonscholarships/