Japanese manager optimistic about Wuhan's future | 日企总经理，看好武汉无限未来

　　It has been 12 years since Satoru Ooba came to Wuhan from Japan. He has devoted most of his time to working, during which he experienced the growth of MEIKO Electronics (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (MEIKO Wuhan for short hereafter) and witnessed the increasingly mature business environment of Wuhan.

　　大场哲从日本来汉12年了，他的大部分时间都献给了工作，经历着名幸武汉工厂的成长、感受着武汉营商环境的日益成熟。

　　Ooba playing golf Photo provided by Ooba

　　Admiring Wuhan speed

　　叹服于武汉“速度”

　　Satoru Ooba was shocked by the speed of growth in Wuhan since he first arrived in the city in 2010. He saw rows of high rises shooting up from the ground and various underground commercial entities extending downward. "It would take 50 years to complete similar large-scale projects in Japan, but in Wuhan, they have been built in a very short period of time, which is very impressive," said Ooba.

　　2010年，初到武汉的大场哲就被这座城市的“速度”震惊，眼见鳞次栉比的高楼平地起，五花八门的地下商业体向下延伸。“一些大体量的工程，放在日本可能得花上50年才能完成，但武汉却能很快完成，让人印象深刻。”

　　The speed of Wuhan's growth can also be seen in the development of MEIKO Wuhan. In 2005, its first factory in Wuhan was put into operation; five years later, the second factory joined the team. MEIKO Wuhan has turned out to be not only the largest wholly foreign-owned enterprise in Hubei province but also the subsidiary with the largest sales of the MEIKO Electronics group.

　　武汉“速度”在名幸武汉也可见一斑。2005年，名幸武汉第一工厂投产；5年后，第二工厂加入生产队伍。名幸武汉不仅是湖北省最大的外商独资企业，也成为名幸集团销售额最大的子公司。

　　Ooba believes that one reason the Wuhan speed of growth is achieved is due to the stability of employees; most of the employees at Wuhan factories are local people, and this stable personnel pool can guarantee the growth of technology and production. An other factor, which is more important, is automated production. "Every year, our labor cost will increase by 7%, so to improve per capita productivity, we have introduced much advanced automated equipment," stated Ooba.

　　大场哲认为，这一“速度”，一方面得益于员工的稳定性——武汉工厂绝大部分员工是本地人，人员稳定，技术和生产就能得到保障；另一方面，更重要的是工厂生产自动化。“每一年，我们的人工成本都会有 7% 的增长。为了提高人均生产力，我们引入了很多先进的自动化设备。”

　　Ooba working at his office Photo by Zou Yan

　　Praising Wuhan's business environment

　　点赞武汉营商环境

　　MEIKO Wuhan places much value on the cultivation of its employees. Many of them have become key members. In 2010, the company had 50 Japanese employees. Today, there are only seven of them, engaged in quality assurance and technology research and development, while the Chinese staff now holds up the bulk of production.

　　名幸武汉重视员工的培养，其中不少已晋升为经理，成为骨干成员。2010年，名幸武汉的日本籍员工达50人。但如今，仅7名日籍员工在汉从事品质保障和技术研发类工作，中国员工撑起了生产大梁。

　　At the beginning of 2020, MEIKO Wuhan, like most enterprises, encountered many difficulties due to the sudden epidemic, and its sales fell that year by 30% compared to 2019.

　　2020年初，面对突如其来的疫情，名幸武汉同大多数企业一样，遇到诸多困难，当年的销售额比2019年下降30%。

　　In April of the same year, Ooba took up the challenge and became the general managing director of MEIKO Wuhan. He and his colleagues, through persistence and effort, were able to make good on the deficit and finally, in 2021, they returned to pre-pandemic sales.

　　同年4月，大场哲成为总经理，担起重任。为了追回差额，他和同事们做了许多尝试和努力。终于在2021年，他们恢复到疫情前的销售额。

　　Ooba believes that in addition to the joint efforts of the employees, the rapid recovery of the enterprise was inseparable from the safeguard measures in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ), which greatly supported the enterprise not only with financial subsidies but also with tax benefits. The government also provided a large number of emergency supplies and actively assisted in solving problems such as transportation permits during the lockdown.

　　在大场哲看来，公司的快速恢复，除了广大员工的共同努力外，与经开区政府的纾困保障措施也必不可分。据他回忆，在2020年初最困难的那3个月，经开区政府给与了企业很大支持，不仅有资金补助，在税收方面也有优惠。封控期间，还提供了大量应急物资，积极协助解决运输通行证等问题。

　　"The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of enterprises. When we encounter difficulties, as long as we communicate with the WEDZ government, they were always ready to help us," said Ooba who maintains that with the support of the government, the enterprise will have a promising future.

　　“中国政府非常重视企业的发展，企业遇到困难，只要我们与经开区政府沟通，他们总是积极地想办法帮忙解决。”他相信，在政府的支持下，企业未来在汉发展的前景可观。

　　Expecting new friendship

　　期待友谊新篇章

　　Though work is the theme of his life in Wuhan, Ooba can always find something pleasant. A bowl of hot and dry noodles with sufficient coriander is always a satisfactory way to start his vibrant day. Playing golf in a course across the street from his office while appreciating the view of Taizi Lake satisfies the "workaholic." At his home in Wuhan, Ooba keeps a ginger cat named "Chahu" (meaning Tea Tiger). Speaking of his little pet companion, Ooba smiled gently: "It is so clingy that it even sleeps with me."

　　工作是大场哲生活的主题，但并不妨碍他寻找在汉生活中的小确幸。吃热干面时，加上满满的香菜，是他元气一天的开始；在公司对面的高尔夫球场打球，这个“工作狂”充满了满足感：享受临湖的风景，工作休闲两不误；在武汉的家里，他养了一只名叫“茶虎”的橘猫，提起这个小家伙，大场哲就一脸温柔的笑意：“可粘人了，睡觉都要和我一起。”

　　In August 2021, closed-off management was implemented in the Zhuankou sub-street where MEIKO Wuhan locates. However, Ooba experienced unexpected warmth and beauty: he got the opportunity to eat and live together with more than 3,000 employees in the factory, washing up in the staff dormitory for the first time in his life, and playing table tennis and badminton with them. "We lived together as a family and it was a very precious experience for me," he said.

　　2021年8月名幸武汉所在的沌口封控，尽管出行受限，但于大场哲而言，却是意外的温馨与美好：他得以机会与厂区内3000多名员工“同吃同住”，生平第一次在员工宿舍里洗漱，与员工一起打乒乓球、羽毛球。“我们就像家人一样住在一起，这对我来说是一段非常珍贵的经历。”

　　Ooba's hometown is in Yamagata Prefecture in northern Japan, which is an important rice-producing region in the country. After learning that Oita, Japan, the first international sister city of Wuhan, has carried out various forms of exchange activities with Wuhan, he expressed his hope that his hometown can also develop a close relationship with Wuhan in the future. He is looking forward to a new chapter of friendship between the two sides.

　　大场哲的家乡在日本北部山形县，那里是日本重要的水稻产区，因水果产量高，也被称为“水果王国”。得知日本大分是武汉首个国际友好城市后，与武汉开展了多种形式的交流活动，他也期盼着，山形县与他的“第二故乡”武汉能在不远的将来结缘，开启友谊的新篇章。

　　(Edited by Ye Shiyu)