Japanese English
Preface, Main Characters
1. Become a Member of Society
2. Work and Private Matter
3. At Penn State
4. Realize the Limit
5. New World
6. Road to Export
7. Detour
8. Infighting
9. Whereabout of the Tie-up
10. As a Resident Staff
11. Family and Health Condition
12. Fall Down
13. Then
Preface

I have been writing about Taiji Miwasaki (myself) considerably in essays, travel notes and even novels. But to my regret, there are few writings during his days with Hayatama Steel (a pseudonym) just after his graduation from university until the age of 48.

This period was, so to speak, when he had some of both looks and substance while he got splinters and insect bites. Therefore he is sure to remember those days comparatively well. Nevertheless he is reluctant to tell such things to me.
They must have been memories more with regret than with pleasure. Among them, failures and grudges.
To make it worse, the most people involved could still be in good health and have been keeping company with him.

However, he is now in late 70s. He accepted me to write his such memories even with some obstacles, considering his age.
So, I used the place names around Kii Peninsula, his home district, for all the characters and all the Japanese companies in order to avoid any possible frictions.

The story starts from the time Taiji Miwasaki becomes a member of society, when he graduated from H University in Tokyo and entered Hayatama Steel in Nagoya.
He experiences personnel matters and production process control for 5 years at the steel casting plant. After that, he is sent to the U.S as a student for 1 year. Everything went well with him until then.
However, the next several years at the head office and the sales dept. are tough to him. He trips, falls and gets injured, while he makes his effort in this period.

He misses the life near New York City with his family. The results of his work are rather satisfactory. But this stage suddenly ends in 2 and a half years. During the business trip to Japan by chance, brain infarction attacks him.
He is not allowed to return to the U.S. His wife and 2 children are forced to get back to Japan. The elder daughter stays another year to finish senior high school.

Miwasaki gets back to work at Tokyo Office after medical treatment for 3 months.
For 3 years since then, it cannot be said that he has worked pleasantly. He leaves Hayatama Steel at the age of 48 with no particular aim in mind.

The above 25 years are Taiji Miwasaki's "The days with Hayatama Steel."

Preface Reading: 4' 27"
< Part 0 (here) Part 1 >
Main Characters
Taiji Miwasaki: Hero
Tsubaki Hirotsuno: Miwasaki's wife
Hayatama Steel
Yukawa: Personnel Subsection Chief, Tsukiji Plant
Shimozato: General Affairs Section Manager
then, Vice Plant Manager, Tsukiji Plant
Tonda: General Manager of Casting Division
then, Managing Director
Wabuka: Engineering Section Chief, Tsukiji Plant
Tawara: Manager, Investigation Dept.
then, Section Manager of Research & Development Head Quarters
Arida: General Manager, Planning Dept.
Ohshima: General Manager, Investigation Dept.
then, Executive Director
Udono: Executive Director
Minabe: Assistant General Manager, Planning Dept.
then, General Manager, Tokyo Investigation Dept.
Inami: Chief of New York Office
then, Assistant General Manager, Planning Dept.
Minoshima: Presidant of Hayatama Steel
Kinokawa: Executive Director
Mirozu: General Manager of R & D Dept.
then, Managing Director
Hayatama Steel America (HSA)
Shirahama: President of HSA
then, President of HIAL
Kinomoto: Manager of Technology, HSA
then, General Manager of Technology Dept.
Nachi: Manager of General Affairs
Kushimoto: Broker
Others
Sano: Fuchu Plant of Hinomisaki Electric Co.
Hime: Mihama Valve Co.
Ohdomari: Missionary in Shingu City, Miwasaki's hometown
Singus: Miwasaki's friend at Penn State
Kynan: Manager, Chessie System Railroad
Cattura: Sales Manager, L. B. Foster
Owassay Production Manager, L. B. Foster
Kukey Vice President, International, Hitchiner Mfg. Co.
Minosay Vice President, Marketing, Hitchiner Mfg. Co.
Personal History of Taiji Miwasaki
Year (age) What happened.
(Blue is other than Miwasaki)
1940 (0) Born in Shingu City, Wakayama Pref.
(the southernmost of Kii Peninsula, Japan)
The 2600th anniversary year of the founding of Japan
1941(1) The Pacific War started with the Attack of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Army.
1945 (5) Japan was defeated and the Pacific War ended.
1964 (23) Graduated from H Univ. (Kunitachi, Tokyo) and entered Hayatama Steel (Nagoya).
Assigned to the General Affairs Sec. at Tsukiji Plant.
Tokyo Olympic (Oct.)
1966 (25) Assigned to the Process Control Sec. (April)
1967 (26) Elected to a member of executive officers of Laber Union (Oct.)
Married with Tsubaki Hirotsuno (Oct.)
1968 (27) Process Planning Sec. (April)
Appointed to study abroad (Oct.)
Elder daughter was born (Dec.)
1969 (28) Father died (May)
Began to study at Penn State Univ. (June)
Apollo 11 landed on the moon (July)
Woodstock Jazz Festival (Aug.)
1970 (29) Osaka Expo bega (March)
The Yodo Plane case (March)

Returned to Japan (May)
Assigned to Investigation Dept. (June)
1972 (31) Assigned to R & D Dept. by the Organization Reform (Oct.)
1976 (35) Assigned to Sec. 2 of Casting Sales Dept. (Oct.)
1978 (37) Appointed as Sec. 2 Manager (April)
Manager Tawara died (May)
Tonda promoted to Director (Oct.)
Frog Project started with 8 staffs (Oct.)
1979 (38) Business trip to USA with Tonda (Nov.)
1980 (39) Executive Director Udono took Business trip to USA (April)
HSA started (May)
1981 (40) Udono died (Nov.)
1982 (41) Business trip to Poland with Executive Director Kinokawa (Aug.)
Tonda promoted to Managing Director (Sep.)
Received transfer notice to HSA (Nov.)
Transferred to HSA (Dec.)
1983 (42) Miwasaki's family started to live near New York (May)
1984 (43) Ohshima promoted to Vice President
Tonda transferred to Ida Steel Co. (April)
1985 (44) Business trip to Japan and fell down (April)
Assigned to Tokyo Investigation Dept. (July)
His wife and 2 children returned to Japan. Elder daughter remained in USA (Sep.)
1986 (45) Transferred temporerily to HIAL (June)
Minabe promoted to Managing Director. (Sep.)
1988 (47) Left Hayatama Steel. (Oct.)
-- note --
All the names of the characters are based on the place names along the seacoast of Kii Peninsula between Wakayama and Mie Prefecture.
The names of the domestic companies are also pseudonyms based on the local names around there.
Preface Reading: 4' 27"
< Part 0 (here) Part 1 >
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