When I took over my father’s business, I asked myself, ‘Why am I doing this?
THE PROCESS
By the mid-1970s, Hirotake Arai was eyeing retirement. “My father wanted to relax and see the world,” explained Michio. “He said, ‘You work. I will give you stock in the company. You pay me the money to spend. Enjoy this life.’ And that was it.” On September 28, 1977, Japan Air Lines Flight 472 traveling from Mumbai to Tokyo was attacked by the “Japanese Red Army,” a militant communist group. Five armed men took 156 passengers and crew hostage. Hirotake Arai was one of those passengers. The terrorists demanded a $6 million ransom and the release of nine imprisoned JRA members. On October 1, Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda shocked the world by announcing his government would accept the demands of the hijackers.
Fukuda’s compassion left a powerful, permanent impression on 39-year-old Michio Arai. “When I took over my father’s business, I asked myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ Fukuda’s message, that the value of a human being is more precious than wealth, stayed with me. “I slowly and gradually started to change my values,” said Michio Arai. “I came to realize that protection is very important. If we keep chasing a higher level of protection with our helmets, I can do something with my life that I am proud of.
“I know the helmet business will never be big, but if we can protect the head, that is something we can be proud of. Protection is important to those who wear our helmets. To be able to give protection to riders fills everyone who works at Arai with pride. “Little by little, we changed the helmet and made it something that really worked. I thought, ‘How am I going to tell the world that our helmet gives better protection?’ If I make an advertising campaign, nobody will believe it. Then, I thought, ‘Racing.’”
“The life of a single person outweighs the Earth,” said Fukuda, justifying his decision. While other countries refused to negotiate with terrorists, Japan paid the ransom and released the prisoners. Two days later, the final hostages were freed, all unharmed.
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