CHAPTER 9
Now, the Good
The 1970s were a time that challenged me more than any other period of my life. The personal tragedies I endured over the course of that decade tested my inventive capacity, wits, and confidence. Luckily, I was still young and my ambition remained. Furthermore, my personal experiences kept me intact in the face of defeat. Watching the Second World War unravel behind the convoluted lens of my early youth while living in an evacuation camp had given me the strength to carry on. Even in the uncertain economic climate of the 1970s, I laid the foundations for Takihyo’s future—not only in Japan but also abroad. Some of my initiatives that began in the midst of the political and economic turmoil of the early Nixon era fashioned the beginnings of what would capture my attention for the next two decades.
Another aspect of my life in the 1970s was the new friendships and partnerships I was forging at the time. By about 1963, I had joined a small consortium of like-minded and same-aged Japanese executives. In the United States, a company’s board of directors consists of a selection of executives from various sectors of management in most cases. Every quarter or so, an American board meeting takes place so that the directors can discuss matters needing redirection or further definition. The executive director poses questions and sets the context for the members of the board. Garnering feedback from outside sources, especially those one respects and trusts, can yield ...
