Welcome Parties for New Employees Aren't Just About Alcohol!? Mary Chocolate Holds 'Cheers with Chocolate! Welcome Chocolate Party' to Experience New Ways to Enjoy Chocolate!

Mary Chocolate Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Ota-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshiya Tayama), which manufactures and sells gift confectionery including chocolates, held a welcome event for new employees, "Cheers with Chocolate! Welcome Chocolate Party," on the day of the company entrance ceremony, Thursday, April 2, 2026.

[Event Overview] This event is an experiential welcome party featuring "chocolate," unique to Mary Chocolate, as the main theme, aimed at alleviating the anxiety of new employees toward their unfamiliar environment and providing an opportunity for them to blend into the company as quickly as possible. Instead of the alcohol typically served at welcome parties, participants toasted with chocolate drinks. The event was held with the aim of having new employees share with each other through chocolates and baked sweets, experience new ways to enjoy the chocolate they will be involved with in their work, and discover these for themselves.

Event Name: Cheers with Chocolate! Welcome Chocolate Party Date & Time: Thursday, April 2, 2026, 15:30 - 17:00 Venue: Mary Chocolate Headquarters, Mary's Club Target: 16 new employees for the 2026 fiscal year, 5 existing employees (2 from the R&D Department, 3 from the Sales Department *including 1 sales staff)

[Event Details] The event consisted of three points characteristic of Mary Chocolate.

Cheers with a Chocolate Drink! A toast was made with a special herb-infused chocolate drink devised by Chocolatier Okutani of the Research and Development Department. Chocolatier Okutani introduced a recipe recommended for relieving the tension of new working adults, and all participants raised their glasses high with a "Cheers with chocolate!" This new toasting style, which does not involve alcohol, warmed the hearts of the participants and enveloped the venue in a sense of unity.