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Kazihiro: Mr. Stevenson.
Hunt Stevenson: [Lights up cigar and leans his seat back] Uh-huh?
Kazihiro: How do you think things are going at the factory?
Hunt Stevenson: Honestly, Kaz?
Kazihiro: Yes, please.
Hunt Stevenson: Not too well.
[sits upright]
Hunt Stevenson: Uh, see, you're Stateside now, fellas and to tell you the truth, you're still acting like a bunch of Yokohama mobs. No offense.
Kazihiro: None taken.
Hunt Stevenson: Can I... can I be frank, for a second? I've heard a lot of talk about, uh, how good the Japanese businessmen are.
[leans back and puts cigar in mouth]
Hunt Stevenson: Quite frankly, I'm sorry. I don't get it. I don't see it. I'm not impressed.
Kazihiro: You're fired.
Hunt Stevenson: What?
[Hunt falls off chair]
Hunt Stevenson: You can't fire me.
Kazihiro: [Gets up and pours himself some whiskey] You'll go back on the line with the others.
Hunt Stevenson: Whoa! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Explain this to me. Why?
Kazihiro: I do not understand American workers. They come five minutes late, leave two minutes early. They stay home when they are sick. They put themselves above company. You seem to feel the same way as they do.
Hunt Stevenson: Okay, excuse me, but explain something to me. When this was an American factory, production was up 10% higher than it is with you guys. Now explain that to me.
Kazihiro: Ten percent?
Hunt Stevenson: Yeah.
Kazihiro: In Japan, production in same sized factory is 40% higher.
Saito: With superior quality.
Hunt Stevenson: That's impossible. How can you guys work that fast?
Kazihiro: Japanese worker is very loyal to company. Is very proud when company does well. Is ashamed when it does poorly.
Saito: Like now.
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Mr. Sakamoto: [hands a janitor's mop to Saito, the naysayer executive, effectively demoting Saito from VP to janitor]
Mr. Sakamoto: Good luck in your new career.
Stan Egi
Extended Reading
