Nissan Motor Co. has decided to move its head office from Tokyo to Yokohama, its birthplace, bucking the general trend of big business concentrating in the capital. The planned relocation, expected to take place by 2010, provides a case study in the desirable relationship between company and community.
Nissan President Carlos Ghosn says Nissan values its local "roots," especially because it is a global enterprise. The remark carries a twofold message. First, a company's place of origin is part and parcel of its corporate identity. Second, collaboration between company and community is essential to their mutual development.
These principles are self-evident, yet they were largely ignored during Japan's rapid economic development. For example, Osaka, a traditional hub of commerce, has produced an array of excellent companies, including steelmakers, textile producers, trading conglomerates, financial institutions and retail chain operators, but many of them have forsaken their roots and gone to Tokyo.