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True Rotarian
from Masakazu KOBAYASHI, District 60 Governor
Teijiro Kurosawa-san was struck with a cerebral hemorrhage on January 1st and passed away on January 27th. Kurosawa-san had been one of the longest serving members of the Tokyo Rotary Club.
I believe that Kurosawa-san has been a true model Rotarian, who has practiced the spirit of Rotary very faitfully in every aspect.
Kurosawa-san was admitted as an active member of the Tokyo Rotary Club in 1923.
Since then for more than 30 years, he has maintained close to 100 percent, if not 100 percent attendance record. He has also served as a Board Director and Accountant of the Club. He has established goodwill and friendship with other Rotarians and respected by all.
Kurosawa-san has been in business for more than 50 years. Even before he joined Rotary, he had practiced the spirit of Rotary by serving the community through vocational service.
For example, when he sold a typewriter to a customer, he has made sure that the typewriter was working in good condition at all times and if for some reason, the customer was not happy with the product, Kurosawa-san would repair or even replace with a new one.
Kurosawa-san made sure that his customers remained satisfied with the service/product.
(repair shop at 1st floor in ginza store)
Kurosawa-san supplied a large volume of goods to the Ministry of Posts every year but he had never entertained Government officials. This showed that he practiced the spirit of Rotary and maintained an ideal relationship between a buyer and a seller with high ethical standards.
Kurosawa-san believed in family values. For decades, Kurosawa-san provided housing and vegetable gardens to his employees and their families so that their basic daily needs were met.
Even during and after the World War when many Japanese suffered from shortages of food and housing, employees of the Kurosawa Village did not have to worry about their basic daily needs.
Some employees worked at the Kurosawa Factory for three generations and the employees and their families respected Kurosawa-san as their beloved father.
(under constraction of the Kurosawa primary school and kindergaten)
With regard to service to the community, Kurosawa-san opened a primary school within the compound of the factory with his own expenses.
He has also put his money to install a water pipe to supply water from the Tama River to the residents of the Kurosawa Village and neighboring areas.
(ceremony at the kindergaten, teijiro in center of back row)
The first motto of Rotary is "Service Above Self". Kurosawa-san was one of very few among 365,000 Rotarians worldwide who practiced this in everyday life. He was never interested in serving his self interest. He always placed service to others first.
Just read the newspaper article on Kurosawa-san published in Mainichi Newspaper on February 4 to see how he practiced " service above self".
Kurosawa-san's business prospered and for the last few years, he had been noted as the highest tax payer in Japan. He showed by his example validity of the second motto of Rotary, which is "He profits most who serves the best".
Kurosawa-san was selected as the most outstanding member of the Tokyo Rotary Club and awarded the gold pin made to commemorate the 70th birthday of Swedish King.
We are sad that we have lost the model Rotarian. This is a great loss not just for Rotary Japan but also for Rotary worldwide.
(welcome party to IBM guests)
"Such a big loss."
"There will not be another person like him."
After receiving the news of Kurosawa-san's death, many Rotarians and those who knew him voiced their sincere and deep griefs.
I have known Kurosawa-san for over 30 years through Rotary activities.
My respect and admiration for him have grown over the years as I got to know him better. He was a pure-hearted, virtuous man, and I used to call him the greatest "every day person". He always had a smile on his face. He talked quietly in a relaxed manner. Throughout his life, he has lived honestly and sincerely in both his public and private life.
"Kuroswa-san" by Ikuro Atsumi
ROTARIAN SPENDS YEARS DEVELOPING AN IDEAL FACTORY
(THE JAPAN TIMES & MAIL Sunday September 30 1928)
Well Known Tokyo Businessman Works For His Employees
BUILDS NEW SCHOOL
Children In Compound Look up To Founder of Plant As Their Father
More than twenty years have passed since then and just as the Rotary Club today stands as a worthy monument of the work of its founder, so the model Teijiro Kurosawa factory in the suburbs of Tokyo stands as a monument to the work of its founder.
This factory, naturally, is known ・・・ in Kamata. But it is little known to the rest of the country, primarily because Mr. Kurosawa is not a seeker after publicity. In fact few people shun publicity as he does and it is only because of the unusual persistency on the part of The Japan Times in approaching Mr. Kurosawa for information regarding his institution that the story of his model factory is published here. Details of the workings of the institution have hitherto never been given to the press.
What Mr. Kurosawa should be a Rotarian is only incidental. Long before he ever heard of Rotary, he was at his work of SERVICE ABOVE SELF. On hearing of Rotary several years ago, he immediately look a great interest in that institution and its work and was made a member of that organization’s club in Tokyo not long ago. Since then he has more than ever worked towards advancing the welfare of his employees and is one of the staunchest upholders of Rotary’s motto of SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
But these modern appliances, most of which have been imported from abroad, have not been installed merely for the comfort of the workmen.
They ware installed because Mr.Kurosawa is a believer in efficiency, and in producing most from the least possible human energy.
Persons acquainted with factory methods in Japan declare after a visit to the Kurosawa works that his 150 employees are producing the work which requires at last 250 employees to do in other factories in Japan.
As only one sixth of the water he obtains from Tamagawa is necessary for the needs of his employees and himself, Mr. Kurosawa is at present giving away the bulk of the supply to people in the neighborhood. This water naturally is distributed in pipes which are run underground, and therefore few realize that water from the Kurosawa mains are furnished to his neighbors. Still Mr. Kurosawa is the last person to mention this fact.
Whenever an employee in the Kurosawa factory is taken ill, he, unlike employees in most other factories, needs worry little about having his pay check reduced, for it is one of Mr. Kurosawa’s principals to not only pay full wages to sick employees but to foot the bills of all those who are compelled to pay heavy medical bills.
As for himself, Mr. Kurosawa lives as cheaply as possible. His slogan is taken from “Evangeline”by Longfellow:“The richest was the poorest and the poorest lived in abundance.”
He has only one suit of clothes for each season, one hat and a single pair of shoes though he is the head of one of the best known importing and manufacturing establishments in Tokyo. Mr. Kurosawa says he is happiest when he thinks that he is the servant of man.
All the employees work very hard. They are very committed. I am thankful for their dedication. (Rotary Wheel)
There is no room for labor issues or employee agitation in this Factory. Our employer respects his employees, and all the employees respect their employer as their father. This is like a family. The atmosphere here is very comfortable and warm.
These days, workmen switch jobs for high wages. However, Mr. Kurosawa says that none of his employees would leave for other companies for higher wages. There may be very few employers who can say the same thing confidently. (Rotary Wheel)
Economic depression, reduced profits, downsizing and workers' strikes. In this era of rampant labor-management disputes, workers' agitation and protests, there is another world at the Kurosawa Factory. This is a factory of love. The factory is surrounded by tranquil farmland.
When I visited the Interior Ministry and asked to visit a model factory in Tokyo, the governmental official immediately introduced me to the Kurosawa Typewriter Factory.
(Kurosawa Factory and T. Kurosawa)
Several days ago, an acquaintance of mine visited me and said, " Why not start a labor dispute at your factory. I help you".
I told him immediately, " You may not know but the owner of the factory, Mr. Kurosawa is a self-made man and he worked hard to build this factory. He is very good to his employees. He provides us with housing. He has even built a kindergarten for our children. You may have seen it but there is a farmland for employees next to the factory. Employees are served lunch at the canteen free of charge. We get monthly wages and we are all very happy. This is a factory of love. Do not even dream of causing a labor dispute here."
My acquaintance looked at me enviably. He sighed and said how he wished he would be employed by the Kurosawa Factory.
Mr. Kurosawa heard about this incident and decided to take a measure. He was determined to prepare for any labor disputes. First, he told cooks at the Kurosawa Ginza shop and the factory to make sure no food was wasted. He instructed them to preserve leftover rice and bread, and to serve it if some agitators or protesters come to cause some troubles. Mr. Kurosawa saved what would be wasted so that hungry people looking to cause labor disputes would be treated with food.
Mr. Kuroswa would say, "If a labor dispute starts, and if there are people who distribute flyers slandering the management, let them do whatever they want. Collect the flyers and send them to the head office. Treat protesters with hot tea on a cold day and a glass of cold water on a hot day. Do not worry about disputes. Everything will turn out OK."
Mr. Kurosawa was prepared for a labor dispute but the labor dispute never happened at the Kurosawa Factory.
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