🧾 What This Document Is

This is a Form 3 filing, but what you're seeing here is its essential attachment: a Power of Attorney. A Form 3 is the first report an insider (like a director or executive) must file with the SEC to disclose their ownership of company stock. This Power of Attorney doesn't show the ownership details itself; instead, it legally appoints other people to handle the filing process for the insider.

👉 Why it matters: It's a behind-the-scenes administrative filing that shows how corporate insiders comply with U.S. securities laws. It signals that a new insider (Asako Suzuki) has joined Honda's leadership and is setting up her reporting obligations.

👥 The People Involved

• The Insider (Filer): Asako Suzuki. She is likely a new officer or director of Honda, which triggers the need to file a Form 3.
• Her Appointed Representatives: She is granting legal authority to two Honda executives to manage her SEC filings for her:
  1. Takanori Kurisu, General Manager of the Board of Directors Office.
  2. Kenji Ichinoseki, Department Manager of the Investor Relations Department.
• The Company: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE: HNDAF).

🔍 What This Power of Attorney Does

Asako Suzuki is giving Kurisu-san and Ichinoseki-san the power to act as her "attorney-in-fact" for specific SEC tasks. This is a common and practical move.

Key permissions granted include:

• Managing her EDGAR account (the SEC's online filing system).
• Preparing, signing, and submitting Forms 3, 4, and 5 on her behalf. These are the forms insiders use to report initial holdings, changes in ownership, and annual summaries.
• Taking any other necessary actions to complete these filings.

⚖️ The Fine Print & Protections

The document includes standard legal protections for the appointed representatives and the company:

• Non-Reliance: It clarifies that Kurisu-san and Ichinoseki-san are not taking on Suzuki-san's personal legal responsibility to comply with insider trading rules (Section 16). The ultimate responsibility remains hers.
• Clean Hands: Suzuki-san represents that she has no history of securities law violations or bans.
• Indemnification: She agrees to cover any legal costs or damages if her representatives get into trouble based on incorrect information she provided to them.
• Duration: This power stays in effect until she formally revokes it in writing.

🚀 What This Signals for Honda

• Governance & Compliance: This shows Honda has formal processes to ensure its executives comply with U.S. disclosure rules, which is important for maintaining investor trust on the NYSE.
• Leadership Change: The filing confirms Asako Suzuki has moved into a role (likely officer or director) that requires her to publicly disclose her personal stake in Honda. The next Form 3 filing from her will show exactly what that ownership is.
• Investor Relations Role: Appointing the Head of Investor Relations (Kenji Ichinoseki) as an attorney-in-fact highlights the practical coordination between the legal/IR teams and executives for regulatory reporting.

🧠 The Analogy

Think of this like giving a trusted family member a notarized form to manage your taxes with the IRS. You're still responsible for what's on the tax return, but you're legally authorizing them to handle the paperwork, access your account, and communicate with the agency on your behalf. This is the corporate, SEC-regulated version of that.

📇 Key Contacts & People

• Asako Suzuki - The Filer (Insider)
• Takanori Kurisu - General Manager, Board of Directors Office, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Appointed Attorney-in-Fact)
• Kenji Ichinoseki - Department Manager, Investor Relations Department, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Appointed Attorney-in-Fact)

🧩 Final Takeaway

This is a routine but important administrative filing. It doesn't reveal any stock ownership numbers but tells us that a new Honda insider, Asako Suzuki, has officially begun the process of complying with U.S. insider trading disclosure laws by appointing key executives to manage the required SEC paperwork. The real ownership details will come in her subsequent filings.