The Reckoning

by

David Halberstam

Major Players

• Katsuji KAWAMATA, “the Banker”

• Tetsuo MASUDA, union leader, ‘the Emperor”

• Masaru MIYAKE, leader of 2nd union

• Ichiro SHIOJI, “the Strikebreaker”

• Sanosuke TANAKA, joined Nissan 1937– Typical of worker from countryside

Ch. 7 “The Banker”

• Nissan--Nippon Sangyo--founded by Yoshisuke AYUKAWA

• --from good family

• Mother was Inoue Kaoru’s niece

• Graduated Todai w/ Engineering degree

• Rose with militarists, Manchuria in 1930s

• Challenged Sumitomo, Mitsui and Mitsubishi, old line Zaibatsu

The Banker

• Katsuji KAWAMATA--came from IBJ, the Hiroshima Branch, where he had been sent

• He was rough, crude, knew nothing of automobiles or unions. But was ambitious.

• Sent to Nissan, Tokyo, in 1947. He found there that management feared Union.

• W/Dodge Line, he fired 2000-plus workers

The Union Leader

• Tetsuo MASUDA b. 1914 Tokunoshima off Kagoshima.

• Father ran a small co. that went banrupt. They moved to Kagoshima, father died young.

• Masuda went to Todai; joined Nissan 1938.

• Masuda was smart, eloquent, charismatic

• Played baseball so was hero-figure, leader

• Returned from war politicized:• Old guard had ruined Japan

• Independent--Leftwing but not JCP type

• His vision was for industry-wide union that would serve the workers.

Ch. 8 “The Turning Point”

• 1951 Asahara selected president, Kawamata runs things.

• Nicknamed “the banker” because he did not know cars or the company.

• Masuda had always won battles until Dodge Line--now losing.

• Korean war was “gift from gods” but when growth slowed, times were tough.

Kawamata v. Masuda

• The 2nd Union Strategy

• Masaru MIYAKE emerges as leader.

• Zero-pilot during war, he flirted with radical left after the war but after Dodge Line began to question strikes and disruptions.

• Felt Masuda needed to be stopped. Kawamata seen as hope of company.

Cahnge of Kacho Status

• Kachos--section heads--had been floor workers, part of unions v. management

• New policy pulled kachos up into management

• Result = suribachi or “grinding kachos down” tactic by unions

Miyake v. Masuda

• War taught Miyake to speak his mind

• Saw Masuda as a bully or tyrant

• Started secret meetings

• Kawamata agreed to fund 2nd union w/ IBJ funds

Ichiro Shioji

• B. Kanda 1927, attended Naval Academy

• Father died, took care of family

• Hopped the buying trains, bought/sold produce

• Openly egocentric , Coveted power

• Cocky natural politician and street-fighter

• Loved confrontation

• Masuda was on a high

• Saw men of management as old men from past

• Men of death--they had killed Japan

• Didn’t fear Kawamata because he’s never been in a union

• Kawamata followed hard line--exhaust the union, hire thugs to protect 2nd union

• Secured Nikkeiren support

• By freezing out Masuda they provoked him to violence

• Appealed to workers that Masuda was alien, un-Japanese in his conduct

Ch. 9 “Crushing Masuda”

• Appeal was made to workers on basis that work is sacred, “a ceremony,” not a means to an end as in the west.

• Masuda was jailed; emerged to big rallies

• But, he had• Underestimated his opponents

• Overestimated loyalty of own men

• Old order had been democratized and modernized

• But the old order was still there

• Masuda’s dream of industry-wide union died. Nissan was stabilized.

• Workers no longer challenged superiors

• Kawamata was the big winner

• Unions became an extension of management

• Masuda drifted, broken man

• 1960s lived alone, unemployed

• 1964 died of heart attack aged 50