In the Detroit area of Michigan, the heart of the American automobile industry, a large Japanese community has formed, mainly consisting of expatriates. There is a former expatriate here who is engaged in activities to introduce Japanese culture in order to connect the Japanese community with the local community. His name is Takafumi Omitsu.
Taiko, originally from Aisin Seiki, was assigned to Detroit in 1979 and was mainly involved in technology development and research center operations. After retiring in June 2018, he chose to remain in the country rather than returning to Japan. Taiko says he wants to continue living in America for as long as possible, and is leading the activities of Japan Cultural Development (JCD), an organization founded in 2016. JCD is an organization that was spun off from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Detroit (JBSD). In an effort to help Japanese companies revive the city, which fell into disuse with the decline of the automotive industry, the organization plans and manages events at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) to showcase Japanese culture, including traditional performing arts and crafts, and sometimes to allow local Detroit residents to experience them for themselves.
He was assigned to Detroit in the late 1970s, when American manufacturers were hostile towards Japan.
During his time as a student at Nagoya Institute of Technology, Omitsu joined the ESS (English Conversation Club) because he felt it would be a good idea to study English. He applied for and was selected to participate in a short-term study abroad program aimed at university students in the Tokai region, and during the summer vacation he traveled around the US, starting with Utah. Looking back on his experience at the time, he said, "It was a good memory. It made me feel even more strongly that if I was going to go, it had to be America." Five years after getting the job, he was assigned to Detroit. However, the US automobile industry at the time was openly hostile towards Japanese cars, which were on the rise, and the mood of the local community was far from "welcoming."
Nevertheless, under the slogan of then-Chairman Toyoda Minoru, in order to "create new technology," Daiko later moved his base of operations and collaborated with Professor Andrew Frank of the University of Wisconsin on research into hybrid technology that could be applied to automobiles. When the professor moved to the University of California, Davis in 1985, Daiko moved with him. He returned to Japan briefly in 1986, and when he returned to the US five years later, he was appointed director of a research institute that opened in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a position he held until his retirement in 2018. He has spent a long time in the US so far: 35 years.
So, when I asked Daimitsu what the best thing about working in America was, he immediately replied, "This country attracts talented people from all over the world. It's an ideal environment." And he was able to work with people he would never meet if he was working as an ordinary company employee in Japan. For example, he told me that he has known former Michigan Governor Rick Schneider for 20 years, and that Professor Frank, mentioned above, is the person who holds the basic patent for plug-in hybrids. "I've also worked with Professor (Gérard) Mourou, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics last year, for many years, since he was a professor at the University of Michigan," he recalled.
Japanese people are trusted because of their serious attitude towards things
"Running a research institute is seen as a department that wastes money in the name of research, and no matter how good the technology you develop, it is extremely difficult to make it profitable. However, as long as we have obtained world-class technology, we had a strong desire to somehow make it useful to everyone. That is why it is so difficult to continue. By connecting with many different people and receiving their support, we were able to continue for over 20 years, despite hitting many obstacles, and even managed to bring it to business. It gave us the feeling that if we try, we can do it."
When asked about the strengths of Japanese people when working in America, Daimitsu replied, "It's the attitude of taking things seriously. I personally think that's the case, and whether we work for car manufacturers or parts manufacturers, we all do our jobs properly. That's why we're trusted. That's why we're able to gain a solid position in America."
And the attitude of "American manufacturers viewing Japan as an enemy" that Daiko saw 40 years ago has changed greatly since then. "Many things have happened, such as Chrysler becoming part of the Fiat group, but business keeps moving forward, and they have made an impressive recovery. They have gained confidence in the face of global competition. Now we live in an age where American automakers are customers of Japanese parts manufacturers, and we have a relationship as partners. If the quality and price are right, we will use them. That's how it goes."
Daiko and his wife have two children. Their eldest daughter, who was born in Japan and crossed the ocean at the age of one and a half, is "more American," while their eldest son, who was born in America, is "more Japanese," but both are bilingual and have acquired the skills to live comfortably in both Japan and America. When asked if they had been raising their children at home so that they would not give up on Japanese, Daiko praised his partner's contributions, saying, "That was largely due to my wife's efforts. They didn't send them to supplementary schools, and they taught the children Japanese all at home."
Daiko will now devote the time and energy he used to spend working hard to volunteering at JCD. His work is a way of giving back to the local community he has lived and worked in America for many years, and an investment in a goodwill relationship that will continue into the future. His current challenge is to "gather volunteers who will cooperate with our activities."
JCD website ( Japanese and English )
© 2019 Keiko Fukuda
