I would like to congratulate you on celebrating your 100th anniversary. It's easy to say that it's been going on for a century, but it's amazing. Human life has a limit, but the life of a company has no limits as long as it is constantly invested in its life.
Of course I knew about ShinMaywa, but this was my first time visiting Head Office 's headquarters. The first impression was that everything from the approach to the main gate to the entrance and the state of the plants was so beautiful that I felt something that made me think, "I can trust the products made by this company.'' It seems that your company's sincere approach to manufacturing, which has been cultivated over the years, is reflected in these areas.

Thank you for your compliment.
We would like to thank our senior staff who have overcome countless difficulties and contributed to the development of our group, as well as our current employees who work diligently in our business activities every day, to successfully celebrate the 100th anniversary of our founding. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who supports our company, including our customers.

I understand that your company's predecessor was Kawanishi Aircraft Company Limited, but how was the company founded?

Our predecessor was Kawanishi Aircraft Company Limited, but our history began in 1920 when we founded Kawanishi Machinery Company and established the "Aircraft Department" as a division of the company.
In fact, in 1918, one of the founders of Japan's first aircraft manufacturer, Nippon Aircraft Manufacturing Company, was Kawanishi Seibe, the creator of Kawanishi Aircraft Company Limited.
Due to disagreements between the Kawanishi Machinery Company co-founders, Nippon Aircraft Manufacturing Company was soon dissolved, and Kawanishi Seibe created .
The company began manufacturing spinning machines using the machine tools and other equipment that had been raised, but aircraft engineers and pilots at the time begged the company to let them make the aircraft with their own hands again, and Seibe agreed, and from there they began to design and manufacture their own products.
This "obsession" is the source of our 100-year history, and it is also an important DNA that we want to inherit in the future.
After this, the Aircraft Department was separated and became Kawanishi Aircraft Company Limited, and the Japan entered the military era. It was around this time that we created a number of famous aircraft such as the Navy's Type 97 amphibian, its successor Nishiki amphibian, and the Shiden and Shiden Kai, and this was the founding period of our company.

Indeed, the Kawanishi Aircraft Company Limited era has produced a number of great machines.
I have fond memories of making plastic models of "Nishiki amphibian" when I was a child.

After the war, the U.S. military brought back the Nisihiki amphibian for research purposes and compared its performance with the same type aircraft in its home country, and was surprised by the overwhelming performance of Kawanishi Aircraft Company Limited.
In an era when there were no computers or computers, I imagine that engineers at that time were immersed in development, repeating calculations day and night.
I believe that the reason why we were able to deliver so many excellent aircraft to the world during the turbulent period of wartime was because of our extraordinary design and manufacturing capabilities, as well as our tenacity.

Your company has had excellent technology since its founding. I think the word "aircraft" is perfect as a product that shows technological capabilities, but why didn't they add "aircraft" to the company's name afterward?

With the end of the war, the production of aircraft was banned in Japan. With a fresh start and a desire to survive, we changed the company name to "Meiwa Kogyo" to reflect our desire to "brighten and harmonize," and two years later, we established "Shinmeiwa Kogyo".
The seniors at that time, while introducing various products and services to the world without pretense in order to ensure the company's survival, did not neglect preparations for the next era. After servicing vehicles for the U.S. Army, we saw the potential of the dump truck erection business, and we were determined to commercialize the product on our own, which became the starting point of the special purpose truck business we have today.
During the period of high economic growth, we developed self-priming pumps and automatic wire processors using our abundant manufacturing power, and this is the starting point of our industrial machinery systems and fluid business. special purpose truck has now grown to become one of Japan's largest erection manufacturers with the top market share for most of its products, and submersible pump is now widely used in the sewage field, contributing to the envrionmental preservation of life in Japan. And automatic wire processors is recognized for its high-speed, high-precision machining technology and is active in Southeast Asia and around the world.

You often see dump trucks and refuse compactors around town, and more than half of them are manufactured by ShinMaywa. Although the company manufactures aircraft, it was surprising that they focused on manufacturing parts called "special purpose truck", which is called "bodywork" rather than the whole car, but now that the business has grown into a business that boasts the top market share, they have the foresight to do so. There was a light.

I agree. In 1952, the long-awaited ban on aircraft manufacturing was lifted in Japan, and the following year we began developing highly wave-resistant amphibian that could take off and land in rough seas, resuming aircraft business.
Following this, in the 1960s, mechanical car parking systems and aircraft passenger boarding bridge were created. In this way, the foundation of our current main business was laid in the process of responding to society's needs.

In fact, the first product that comes to mind when I hear the word "ShinMaywa" is the aircraft passenger boarding bridge installed at the airport.
However, after listening to the president's story, I learned that he is working on a wide range of products that I did not know about.
I was also surprised that the production of aircraft was allowed again quite early after the end of the war.
The development of that amphibian led to the "US-2 STOL search and rescue amphibian (hereinafter referred to as US-2)" that is currently in operation.
In June 2013, when the Maritime Self-Defense Force rescued me from a shipwreck while crossing the Pacific Ocean on a yacht, I boarded the US-2. Thanks to this aircraft, I was able to survive in this way, and it is because of that connection that I am having a conversation with the president today.

It's really an honor to meet you. The total number of maritime rescues carried out by amphibian has exceeded 1,000, including the cumulative results of the US-1, contributing to a variety of life-saving situations, including transporting patients to remote islands. In the future, we would like to expand the range of applications in which this aircraft's characteristics can be utilized, such as expanding its use to firefighting amphibian.
*Renamed to "ShinMaywa Industries" in 1960

Based on my first impression when I visited your company and the aircraft that was rescued, US-2, I felt that ShinMaywa was a very solid company that would "knock over stone bridges''. There is an image. I believe that is why we have been able to celebrate our 100th anniversary with stable management.
When we think about the next 100 years, society will undergo unimaginable changes, but will we continue to build on our current solid image or aim for breakthroughs in fields different from our past? Which one is it? I'm looking forward to seeing what direction you go in. Do you think a "sixth business'' will be created in the future?

First of all, the main premise is the expansion of the current five businesses. In the Medium-Term Management Plan, which is currently being promoted, we are focusing on the following three items: (1) developing new services that have shifted from "things" to "experiences" by making full use of technologies such as AI and IoT, (2) expanding overseas business, and (3) strengthening alliances such as M&A and business alliances.
We will continue to contribute to society by providing products and services that impress our customers, and we would like to expand the ShinMaywa Group's business even more than it is now.
I strongly believe that the reason why we have been able to survive for 100 years is that we have evolved our products by making full use of our advanced design and manufacturing technologies in line with the times, and that we have inherited the accuracy and high quality of our work, and the diligence and seriousness of our employees, and that we have continued to meet the needs of our customers.
It is not easy to imagine the future era, but as a manufacturer, I would like to cherish the "manufacturing feeling" that is at the root of our company with an obsession.

No matter how much IT and digitalization advance in the world, there will always remain tasks that require human hands. Even if automation advances in all areas in the future, as long as there are things that can be done with IT and things that require human involvement, there will be new business possibilities at these "points of contact".

We are creating services that enhance customer convenience and safety by integrating existing products with IT, such as damage reduction devices for refuse compactors and automatic attachment systems for aircraft passenger boarding bridge. Due to the evolution of digital technology, our lives and the society surrounding them are rapidly changing. In order to grow sustainably in such a world, we believe that we must provide new value that customers will recognize as "unique to the Group.''

Recently, I have felt the restoration of power in the Kansai region. Immediately after the Japan World Exposition (Osaka Expo) was held in Osaka Prefecture in 1970, when comparing the number of companies moving into Osaka Prefecture and the number of companies moving out, there were more companies moving into Osaka Prefecture, but from 1982 onwards, the number of companies moving in was higher. The number of companies moving out exceeded those moving in, and the gap gradually widened. For the first time in a long time, there is now a possibility that things will turn around. This year, it may turn around. In the first half of 2019, the number of young people in their 20s and 30s moving in has increased significantly. This is proof that there are places for young people to work in Osaka.
In this way, "good winds'' are starting to blow in the Kansai region, so I would like your company to demonstrate its strength and pride as a company based in the Kansai region. A topic that will drive the revitalization of the Kansai region is the 25th Osaka Expo. Technology is evolving rapidly and dramatically, and although ethical issues remain, at a technological level it is already possible to create "three-dimensional organs,'' a story once depicted in science fiction that has become a reality. It has a tinge of The next Osaka Expo may truly be a turning point in human history. I believe that this will be an opportunity to show the "power of Kansai'' to the world, including ShinMaywa 's technological capabilities.

In order to meet your expectations, we would like to pass on the strengths of our group to the next generation and transform ourselves into a company that is in line with the times.

　Once again, your company is irreplaceable to me. The reason why I am now able to talk with President Isogawa is because of the US-2, and I later heard that the US-2 was made possible by a considerable number of suppliers and your company's technological capabilities to make it a reality. If any of them had been missing, I might not have been saved. From this experience, I came to strongly realize that my life is not one person's life in this world, but overlaps with someone else's life, and we are all connected in some way.
It's about "each other."
It takes a lot of manpower and time to create an amphibian, and I don't think it's a profitable business.
But, as I mentioned earlier, this aircraft has saved more than 1,000 lives so far. Such a product is not easy to find by searching around. I was also truly impressed by the skill of the Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel who operated the aircraft. Transporting a rescuer to the aircraft in a rubber boat while landing in rough seas is truly a life-threatening act. As a member of the Japanese people, I am proud that the operation of the aircraft has continued to this day.

On the other hand, I believe that the reason why we have been able to continue this business is because we have been able to support this business by special purpose truck, industrial machinery systems, fluids, parking system, and among aircraft, the manufacture of commercial aircraft. In other words, I believe that ShinMaywa is a 100-year-old company because each of its five businesses is fulfilling its mission. Therefore, I was saved at that time thanks to everyone who works at the ShinMaywa Group. Someday, I would like to express my gratitude to each and every one of the members of the ShinMaywa group, and I am very grateful for this opportunity.
Thank you very much to all of you. I would like to express my gratitude again.
ShinMaywa I hope that you will continue to work without forgetting that your work supports the life, work, and life of someone around you, someone you have never met.

Thank you. As Mr. Shinbo said, each and every employee of ShinMaywa Group must fulfill their respective roles by harnessing the power of gratitude towards the history built by our predecessors and all those who have supported it. I believe that we can continue to contribute to the peace of mind and happiness of people around the world.
I believe that the words I received from Mr. Shinbo earlier will be deeply engraved in the hearts of all our employees.

Thank you very much.