When I realized that it didn't matter what happened to me, I suddenly let go and my mind calmed down. And I shared every information with other major Japanese members and honestly discussed the advantages and disadvantages of opening up and proceeding with new business. Some people were a little negative, but the two people I most trusted strongly agreed that we should do it, so I made a firm decision to write a petition to the head office stating, "I would like to proceed with new business as before," on my own responsibility, and I poured all my abilities into completing this petition and left the decision to the parent company.

As for the baptism testimony, on the afternoon of Sunday, September 2nd, I had a quiet and rich time alone in my room, where the sunlight was still strong, and I was facing myself almost without thinking. I looked back on my upbringing and past, and I wanted to repent everything and to be given a new life again.

I was so focused that I forgot the passage of time and my first testimony was written and completed on my PC without any hesitation before dinner. The next day I was able to send the testimony to Pastor Kataoka using my company's email. It was just the same day that I received a message from my wife on my cell phone that the baptism was approved, and I could hear her relieved voice on the phone.

On Saturday, the 8th, I left Semarang early in the morning and arrived in Singapore in the afternoon, where I was taught the meaning of baptism and an overview of Christianity at the teacher's home, and I was baptized on the 9th.

My testimony was given during a JCF service held at St. George's Church, and Yumi and I were really baptized in the beautiful pool in the vast garden of the home of Mr. Wong, who was a JCF supporter. Our daughter, Atsuko, who came from Japan for summer vacation, and a son, Yoichi looked on, and it was our second wedding, amid the blessings of many JCF brothers and sisters.

The events of that month were unfolding in ways we never could have imagined. In two foreign countries directly under the equator, our days were full of hustle and bustle, but also good and bad.

When I look back on this period, I deeply realize that all things, the suffering, the sorrow, and the joy, were connected to each other as a blessing and given to me. Now, I cannot help but be convinced that it was at that time that Jesus Christ was close to me, holding my hand tightly and guiding me.

Of course, it was a huge turning point in my life and an unforgettable event. What's more, the tragic events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, which occurred just two days after our baptism, also left a vivid memory in my mind. 

But I’ve felt that my sudden religious awakening was deeply connected to the local or country culture of Semarang, Indonesia. It was due to the fact that I somehow felt at home in Indonesia, a multi-religious country with a high level of mutual tolerance, where Islam, in particular, is deeply ingrained in daily life. In contrast to that, a religious atmosphere is rarely found in Japan today.

What was so very impressive for me was that I was always deeply moved by the innate kindness and deep faith of my driver, Budi-san, and the maids who supported me daily with everything from food and clothing to shelter. Without their support or rather without their existence, my daily life could not be possible, and the casual, broken conversations I had with them soothed my exhausted heart at the height of my busy schedule.

Even now, a quarter of a century later, I am deeply grateful to Budi-san and the maids for their unconditional trust in me, and their selfless kindness in not only empathizing with my sorrows and pain, but also rejoicing in my joy. Yes, I believe they provided me with a concrete answer to my ultimate question, "What is the true human value?".

Strangely and thankfully enough, despite these aforementioned production delays, AST Indonesia ended 2001 with its first single-year profit. This was largely due to a very fortunate external factor, which was the rapid interest rate cuts implemented by then-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan as part of his economic stimulus package.

Specifically, our interest repayments on long-term and short-term bank loans totaling over US $10 million were halved, and non-operating income and expenses improved significantly.

Furthermore, despite production delays at peak times, we managed to avoid even a single air transport, which would have resulted in huge losses. Although our quality control was immature and insufficient, the fact that we had never inconvenienced our customers due to quality issues was something of a miracle, considering AST Indonesia's history.

Of course, as part of our management efforts to reduce expenses, we also reduced our Japanese members largely as planned, and as part of our restructuring efforts, we offered a voluntary retirement program to local employees, and despite the major disruptions, thankfully approximately 200 people applied.

In addition, another major factor that stabilized AST's business since 2001 and ensured its medium to long-term profitability was its involvement in the musical instrument business, a new venture for AST: undertaking new OEM production for world-renowned musical instrument brands, Yamaha and Roland.

We were able to begin launching some of these initiatives and prepare for full-scale production from 2002 onwards. Fortunately, many of the young local employees, who were music lovers, seemed particularly proud to be involved in the production of the electronic drums and the digital pianos for this renowned musical instrument manufacturer.

While it was a constantly tough struggle through the year, 2001 was also a year that gave us firm hope for AST's future with the new businesses. Our Japanese staff will eventually return to their home countries, but I imagined that for the local staff who rely on AST for their livelihood, their true wish would be for this production company to continue to exist in Semarang for a long time.

Now, I'm truly delighted and grateful that a quarter century later, AST Indonesia continues to expand as a leading overseas subsidiary production company under the umbrella of Sumitomo Forestry and currently employs approximately 2,000 local people in Semarang. And so, I believe that the efforts of our management team at that time, including Ohtakeguchi-san, who always supported me sincerely as vice president of AST Indonesia from Sumitomo Forestry, and me, who worked hard to restructure the business, were fortunately successful.

However, I also shared responsibility for the production delays on the peak of production in 2001, and above all, I believe I was labeled as someone who rebelled against the organization by launching a new business rather than heeding strong requests from the parent company to cancel the project of the new business.

Therefore, from an outsider's perspective, my return to Pioneer on August 4, 2002, was a complete dismissal. This was certainly a considerable burden for me, but at the same time, I also felt a great sense of accomplishment, a feeling only I could understand, in having developed AST's future. I returned to my family refreshed, knowing that I had literally "given my all."

When I think about how I am now able to spend peaceful days with my family, I cannot help but feel that the Lord was really guiding me. In any case, I am convinced that the colorful and varied experiences I gained in my early 50s in a foreign tropical country, which transcend both joy and sorrow, have been a great source of support for me in my subsequent professional life and also in the entirely personal life of audio as a hobby after retirement. 

Please click on the link below to go to the next page.