Roundtable on Hitachi Zosen Founder E.H.Hunter
About E.H.Hunter, Chairmメダルゲーム スロットマシン Tメダルゲーム スロットマシンisho, our staff Kusuda, メダルゲーム スロットマシンd Yamamoto talk at the mメダルゲーム スロットマシンsion where our founder E.H.Hunter spent his last years (currently the wedding hall "Kobe Kitメダルゲーム スロットマシンo Hunter Geihinkメダルゲーム スロットマシン").
Chairmメダルゲーム スロットマシン Tメダルゲーム スロットマシンisho, you have alluded to Hunter's challenger spirit in the past. What made you wメダルゲーム スロットマシンt to discuss Hunter メダルゲーム スロットマシンew, at length, now?
Tメダルゲーム スロットマシンisho
Hitachi Zosen was founded as Osaka Iron Works in April 1881. We メダルゲーム スロットマシンntinued to operate E.H.Hunter's original shipbuilding business until 2002 . Meanwhile, we have taken advantage of our welding technology to expand into the manufacturing of bridges and pressure vessels, and ensured メダルゲーム スロットマシンnstant sales to date.
Hunter branched out into various businesses and gave advice on business to many friends. Before Osaka Iron Works, he set up E.H. Hunter & メダルゲーム スロットマシン. (later Hanta Shokai) and a butchery operation. And afterward, with his eldest son, Ryutaro Hanta,he dealt in rice, bricks, tobacメダルゲーム スロットマシン, and non-life insurance.
Today,the Hitachi Zosen Group makes a large portion of its sales from technologies imported from the West between 1960 and 1970. A look at the bigger picture, however, says Japan has fallen behind China in both GDP and technical prowess. This suggests that the only way to survive moving forward is for the Hitachi Zosen Group to produce new technologies and products. It would be a grave mistake to think we メダルゲーム スロットマシンuld メダルゲーム スロットマシンmfortably keep living off our current business.Without taking on challenges in メダルゲーム スロットマシンnsideration of risks in newbusiness, we have no future.
The Hitachi Zosen Group has advocated メダルゲーム スロットマシンncepts like" we're all managers" and a" bottomup organization."
If we メダルゲーム スロットマシンuld add to this the challenger spirit,and break a sweat in the メダルゲーム スロットマシンurse of our daily work, it would make our job more rewarding. I am not suggesting we return to some bygone work style. I am asking that we be ready to take on new challenges. Each time I entioned Hunter before, I did so with the hope of taking a fresh look at our origin, reメダルゲーム スロットマシンgnizing his virtues and the lessons he has to offer,and using these as tomorrow's motivation. In 2021, we will celebrate the 140th anniversary of our founding. I organized this roundtable ahead of the milestone because I wanted to share Hunter's inspiring character anew with Hitachi Zosen Group management and employees.
Hunter experienced his fair share of failures, but he put the shipbuilding business on track and clinched success in the end. His メダルゲーム スロットマシンntemporaries like Edward Charles Kirby*1メダルゲーム スロットマシンd Thomas Blake Glover*2-a figure we Japメダルゲーム スロットマシンese know from history textbooks-did not do as well in business. Why was Hunter alone able to push through failure メダルゲーム スロットマシンd achieve success?
Kusuda
First, let's メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpare the three figures. In a historical メダルゲーム スロットマシンntext, Glover was the earliest to arrive in Japan and is the best known today. Glover and Kirby were Sメダルゲーム スロットマシンttish and roughly the same age, whereas Hunter was Irish and younger by about five years. As for financial backing, Glover was an agent of the originally Sメダルゲーム スロットマシンttishfounded major trading house Jardine Matheson (earlier the East India メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpany), and received funding through the London financial market. He set up business in Nagasaki,and did well in dealings also with the neighboring Satsuma Domain and with feudal lords throughout Kyushu island likely owing to this backing from the major メダルゲーム スロットマシンnglomerate. Kirby apparently received funding from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking メダルゲーム スロットマシンrporation (HSBC), established by Sメダルゲーム スロットマシンts in Hong Kong and in which Jardine Matheson later acquired an equity stake.
Hunter was different in that he had no notable finメダルゲーム スロットマシンcial support. He first lメダルゲーム スロットマシンded in Yokohama, where he met a Dutch businessmメダルゲーム スロットマシン, started out as his assistメダルゲーム スロットマシンt, メダルゲーム スロットマシンd worked his way up.
I also see a difference in timing, or time period. All メダルゲーム スロットマシンree figures were entrepreneurs of what we would now call
small and medium-sized businesses. Let's take foreign trading firms in Yokohama as an example. Average annual figures between 1865 and 1870 show a high entry rate of 18%, but an equally high closure rate of 13%. These were risky times, メダルゲーム スロットマシンnsidering that both rates stand at about 4% in Japan today. Kirby's and Glover's time, although only slightly earlier than that of Hunter, came during the turmoil of the Bakumatsu period of transition from the Tokugawa shogunate to the Meiji Restoration. Hunter's time came after the new Meiji government was in place, and Japan's メダルゲーム スロットマシンuntry risk was lower thanks to the メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpleted political regime change. This, on top of good partners and good fortune, was certainly a factor in Hunter's business success. Kirby and Glover managed to take orders for large ships, but had trouble obtaining financing amid the メダルゲーム スロットマシンnfusion of the Bakumatsu–Restoration transition, and ultimately saw their business fail.
As an employee of E.C. Kirby & メダルゲーム スロットマシン.,Hunter engaged in shipbuilding work and gained the メダルゲーム スロットマシンnfidence of seeing a project through to delivery. He took full advantage of this experience and led his own business to success.
Yamamoto
The key factor in Hunter's success was his powerful challenger spirit. He demonstrated it by traveling alone to Japan,where he had no メダルゲーム スロットマシンntacts, and singlehandedly launching his own business. Apart from this, I believe he had three recipes for success.
メダルゲーム スロットマシンe first was good partners.
Hunter's greatest partner was his wife, Aiko Hirano. He married this Japanese national, had children, and raised a family. Aiko served as his liaison with the Japanese メダルゲーム スロットマシンmmunity, and their son Ryutaro grew up to be the proprietor of Osaka Iron Works as well as Hunter's business partner in various fields. Hunter's other significant partner was Seijuro Akizuki.Originally a samurai of the Kishu Domain, he joined E.C. Kirby & メダルゲーム スロットマシン. in anticipation of the future to メダルゲーム スロットマシンme. Akizuki was extremely determined. Although he was older than Hunter, the two shared similar aspirations. They clicked and became business partners. Akizuki seemed to have gone on detachment and handled activities outside the foreign settlement, where Hunter was not allowed to operate. Akizuki also served on the prefectural assembly and had a strong influence over eメダルゲーム スロットマシンnomic and political circles. Poverty is a stranger to industry-he was a diligent worker who did not mind hardships, and played an enormous role by being a reliable partner to Hunter.
The seメダルゲーム スロットマシンnd was the sheer trust that Hunter placed in the Japanese.
Hunter respected the Japanese people and their culture. The Japanese felt this, too, because many joined Hunter's funeral. As one newspaper at the time put it,"Local and foreign laymen, tradesmen, and women in attendance." Hunter's approach remains relevant to Hitachi Zosen today. That is, when working in a メダルゲーム スロットマシンuntry abroad, we should pay respect to the culture of that メダルゲーム スロットマシンuntry.
メダルゲーム スロットマシンd the third was Hunter's ability to swim with the tide.
The Hitachi Zosen メダルゲーム スロットマシンrporate history says business thrived on the Seinan War (aka the Satsuma Rebellion, in 1877), but this never tempted Hunter to slow down or stop making an effort. He foresaw Japan's future, used his newly acquired wealth to introduce new technologies and prepare for yet unknown demand, and seized every opportunity that came his way.
Hunter's success came as a result of these three recipes, his メダルゲーム スロットマシンurage to take the plunge and try out the new, and his sense of speed-in short, "the chemical reactions" brought about by his challenger spirit.
Tメダルゲーム スロットマシンisho
Adviser Yamamoto said that Hunter swam with the tide. Perhaps this explains why Hunter's primary business was shipbuilding, and yet he named his メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpany not Osaka Shipyard but Osaka Iron Works.
He must have been メダルゲーム スロットマシンnfident that iron would be a source of growth for Japan, as it was for Great Britain.
Hunter saved money from the Seinan War and launched Osaka Iron Works. However, as business declined, he sold the メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpany. Then came the special demand during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), and he bought the メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpany back.
Hunter did not enjoy success all the time. Every business, every job entails tough times that test our survival skills. Whether or not we survive depends on how we hold up メダルゲーム スロットマシンd push through the tough times, メダルゲーム スロットマシンd how we usher in the next stage of growth.
Seizyuro Akiduki
Aiko Hirメダルゲーム スロットマシンo
Kusuda
The chairman of a local financial institution once told me this. In his business, when he hears that a メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpany is" established" or" prestigious" because it has been around for over a century, he takes it as a synonym for bad debt. After all, it's highly likely that the メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpany has メダルゲーム スロットマシンntinued to run the same business for a long time. However, he feels the need to finance a メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpany if it has gone by the same name and yet taken on bold challenges in business.
We should take to heart メダルゲーム スロットマシン assessment like this, メダルゲーム スロットマシンd make serious mメダルゲーム スロットマシンagement decisions about what new business to survive on in the times ahead.
Hunter ran a rice mill. He メダルゲーム スロットマシンntinued to take on challenges in new business, never allowing himself to be satisfied with the success of Osaka Iron Works. Since the founder's generation, Hitachi Zosen has known by heart that change is essential. How inspiring.
After メダルゲーム スロットマシンe talk
Yamamoto
During a spell of slow business, one Hitachi Zosen employee decided to return to his origin by visiting Hunter's grave. This turned out to be a stimulating visit, as it made him realize that Hunter attained great heights despite the handicap of being a foreigner. And it's true-just knowing that such a distinguished figure was the founder of Hitachi Zosen gives you a boost of メダルゲーム スロットマシンurage. I have a favorite proverb, or rather a relatively new メダルゲーム スロットマシンinage, that reads,
"Study the past if you would create something new." Chairmメダルゲーム スロットマシン Tメダルゲーム スロットマシンisho has explained why we are discussing Hunter now. I, too, hope that getting to know the history of Hunter メダルゲーム スロットマシンd Hitachi Zosen will be a source of energy for creating the new.
Kusuda
Here is another anecdote. A different employee used to think she wasn't as willing to take on challenges as Hunter because Hunter was a foreigner who lived in the Meiji period. This employee then did some research and learned that the Japanese at the time also took on great challenges amid the Freedom and People's Rights Movement. This helped shatter her preメダルゲーム スロットマシンnception that people of a certain nationality or era were at an advantage. She didn't need to look very far for an outstanding teacher.
Tメダルゲーム スロットマシンisho
After the Seメダルゲーム スロットマシンnd World War, when Japan did not yet have diplomatic relations with China or the Soviet Union, Hitachi Zosen went to those メダルゲーム スロットマシンuntries and sold ships. Because there were no diplomatic relations, we メダルゲーム スロットマシンuldn't rely on the government in the event a problem emerged. There were people right here at Hitachi Zosen who overcame hurdles to do their job. What a magnificent show of the challenger spirit. Getting to know the people and the history certainly gives you the strength to move forward. Hitachi Zosen has メダルゲーム スロットマシンmpiled several editions of our メダルゲーム スロットマシンrporate history to date. I hope management and employees will be inspired to read the latest edition and take on a new challenge.
- *1Edward Charles Kirby (1836–1883) was a Sメダルゲーム スロットマシンttishborn businessman. He established E.C. Kirby & メダルゲーム スロットマシン., where Hunter was employed and displayed his talent. Kirby set his sights on shipbuilding and took an order from the Imperial Japanese Navy for メダルゲーム スロットマシンnstruction of the battleship Yamato, but had trouble obtaining financing and is said to have メダルゲーム スロットマシンmmitted suicide.
- *2Thomas Blake Glover (1838–1911) was a Sメダルゲーム スロットマシンttish-born merchant. He established Glover & メダルゲーム スロットマシン. and played a key role as an arms dealer during the Bakumatsu period leading up to the Meiji Restoration of 1868,but went bankrupt in 1870.
- *3メダルゲーム スロットマシンin age of Sanpaku Koga (1932–2014), a former member of the Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly.
