They made bikes, pondered planes; he chose Honda
 | Takanobu Ito |
Reprints
Print
Respond
What triggered my interest in joining Honda was that I used to study aircraft as a student. And I was thinking it would be good if I could get a job related to aerospace.
I used to visit companies with my friends. And in those days, Honda had its headquarters in Harajuku, and I remember talking with somebody in the personnel department and drinking tea.
I liked motorbikes anyway, so I was already interested in Honda. But the person handling personnel affairs said to me, 'We might make airplanes.' And then I thought, 'I like motorbikes, and they might do airplanes. No other company has it this good!'
As for four-wheel vehicles, I started with the N360. I was truly moved by that car. It was really wonderful. I had a part-time job at a gasoline station, and thanks to that I had the opportunity to drive various cars. I finally bought an N360 for something like ¥10,000 ($100).
You can reach Hans Greimel at hgreimel@crain.com. -- Follow Hans on 
