Day 3: Fuji and Toa Industries

Ota City was our destination today. Our method of transportation was a bus.

It is the rainy season so there are umbrellas everywhere. In fact, there are clear umbrellas available for the taking at most hotels, restaurants, and businesses. These clear umbrellas can be used and then dropped off at the next destination of the user. Anyone can use them and many of them have likely made their way around the city several times!

Our first stop was the Fuji Heavy Industries Plant. Ninety percent of their sales are automobiles with the rest being engines, transmissions, and parts. The plant was established in 1960 and manufacturers 500,000 cars and 700,000 engines and transmissions per year. They are very concerned about environmental issues and in fact have a zero emissions plant.

Every day the plant plays host to 700 school children. The groups of children are given different colored caps to wear so that they can easily be spotted and grouped. They view the children as future consumers and workers so they are treated very politely and well by all employees of the plant during their tours. Our group had to wear caps as well so that they could keep track of us.

In the tour room of the visitor center there was a race car with photos from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was interesting to learn that the car was the Forester Hulman Trophy winner in the 24 Hour Challenge.

In addition to seeing how the manufacturing processes worked we also had the pleasure of seeing a robot that plays the trumpet. Air compression technology is used to "play" the trumpet and the robot appears to be pressing the keys. The robot plays Disney songs all day long and never tires or needs to take a break.

From here we participated in a Friends of Indiana Reception in Ota City where around 100 Japanese business leaders were in attendance. Our experience continues to be that everyone is very welcoming to us, interested in learning more about how to work with businesses and industries in Indiana, and encouraging about the opportunities for our state.

Our last stop of the day was Toa Industries. This is a private business that was established in 1944 and manufacturers automotive parts and housing materials. I've noticed that many Japanese businesses have quite a mix of products unlike American businesses that tend to focus in one particular industry or even industry segment.

Toa Industries has a facility in Mooresville that employees 234 people. Every month 2 employees from Mooresville are sent to Japan to be trained. And we met the two people who were there from Mooresville.

As we concluded our day and prepared to leave Ota City, as was the usual custom at all of our other stops, all the executives of the company and people we met, bowed to us and then lined up and waved us all good-bye. It is a very ceremonial and gracious culture based upon formal protocol and order.