My Guangdong Story | Japanese manager finds a new self in Zhuhai

GUANGZHOU,China,April 28,2023 -- "When I first came to Zhuhai,I didn't really like this city. I came to China only because my father made me. I couldn't understand him at the time." Akihiro Mishima from Japan told GDToday frankly while filming the micro-documentary series "My Guangdong Story". However,he soon added,"Not until I became a father myself did I realize the reasons for my father's decision. Zhuhai does have a lot of opportunities. Sometimes I wonder,what kind of life I would lead if I hadn't come to China. To be honest,very few people can be general managers in their forties,not to mention in Japan."

Aged 43,Mishima has been living in Guangdong's Shenzhen and Zhuhai for over 20 years and is now the general manager of a Japanese company in Zhuhai that specializes in audio equipment. Many years ago,Mishima's father saw the great opportunities in China and decided to send his son to work in China.

At that time,Mishima was reluctant to go to an unfamiliar country and planned to stay in China for only about a year. In 2001,Mishima came to Shenzhen to join the headquarters of his current company as a section chief,and he soon changed his mind.

"The staff in our factories worked very hard with clear goals,not only for themselves but also for their families," he said,"After living and working in China for almost a year,I decided to stay and develop in China,because I felt a lot of positive energy here. I wanted to work hard with these young people."

In 2004,Mishima transferred to the company's factory in Zhuhai. He believes that Zhuhai is blessed with many opportunities. Convenient transportation and prime location there have facilitated the export business of his company,whose export sales has continued to rise in recent years,with a growth of over 206% in 2022 compared to 2018.

During the conversation with friends in Japan,Mishima found that many young Japanese shared their intention to go abroad,and he thought it would be a good idea. "I want to tell young people in Japan that they don't need to be so anxious about life overseas," Mishima said,"There are a lot of exciting for you to explore."