Who Was Jiro Shirasu?

Jiro Shirasu, the man whom GHQ reportedly called “the only Japanese who never obeyed” after World War II. Jiro Shirasu served as a close aide to Shigeru Yoshida during the Allied occupation of Japan. He also had a successful business career, serving as chairman of Tohoku Electric Power and as a director at numerous Japanese companies.

His father, Bunpei Shirasu, founded the trading firm Shirasu Shoten, which grew through the cotton trade and amassed a vast fortune (the company later went bankrupt during the Showa Financial Crisis). Jiro Shirasu was born into a wealthy family, spoke fluent English, was handsome and unconventional, and stood by his principles no matter who he was dealing with. His life and outlook are still celebrated today in books and television dramas, including accounts of how Jiro Shirasu lived.

There’s a saying that “heaven doesn’t give you everything.” But when it comes to Jiro Shirasu, you can’t help thinking, “Heaven really did give this man everything!”

Jiro Shirasu: The Kind of Man Other Men Admired

Jiro Shirasu was a passionate car enthusiast from a young age. While studying in England, he took luxury cars to the racetrack and spent much of his time racing—so much so that people nicknamed him “Oil Boy.” Even after turning 70, his love of cars hadn’t faded. He drove his beloved Porsche 911 wherever he went, and by all accounts, he looked effortlessly cool behind the wheel.

He must have been quite the charmer.

My husband has been a big fan of Jiro Shirasu for years. Whenever the subject comes up, he says, “My last wishes will be: ‘No funeral. No posthumous Buddhist name.’” (lol) On a solo road trip in the Kanto region, he also stopped by Buaiso, Shirasu’s former home, saying he was “looking for his principles.”

(Apparently, he’d like to live in a home like Buaiso when he retires. lol)

I used to think that for Porsche fans, Jiro Shirasu must be the ultimate role model: a man who could still drive a Porsche with style at 70. Then I found out that someone like him—a Japanese man with the same spirit of adventure—exists today, too! (My husband told me about him.)

Driving a Porsche 356 from Japan to Stuttgart

I came across his story in Nikkei Business Online. Toshiyuki Suzuki drove his 1953 Porsche 356 from Japan to Porsche headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany—a distance of 15,463 km across eight countries, completed in 53 days.

* [Nikkei Business Online] A Man in His 60s Drives a 1953 Porsche to Germany

Suzuki is president of the Porsche 356 Club of Japan, an official Porsche AG-recognized owners’ club. He had already driven his 356 all the way to Hokkaido and Kyushu, and had apparently been thinking about this epic journey for around a decade.

“I’ve passed 60 and am half-retired from work. If I wait until I’m 70, I might not have the energy or stamina, so I figured I should do it while I still can.”

For the trip, Suzuki gave the car a meticulous overhaul-level service (Porsche still supplies parts for its classic models) and packed plenty of spare parts before setting off from his home in Chiba Prefecture. He departed from Sakaiminato by ship, then drove through Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany. Fifty-three days later, a large crowd had gathered outside the Porsche Museum at the finish line, where local fans gave Suzuki an enthusiastic welcome.

I love what Suzuki had to say about the journey:

“Look at a globe and Japan is barely the size of your little finger. It’d be boring to just drive around inside that. Everyone says it’s far away, but I’ve always thought Stuttgart is just a short hop across the continent.”

Porsche AG officially celebrated Suzuki’s achievement. His 356, which had made the journey from Japan, was displayed at the Porsche Museum as part of its 70th-anniversary exhibition, running through January 6 of the following year.

What a wonderful story. Suzuki’s outlook and determination are inspiring, and it’s incredible that a Porsche 356 could still cover the miles so reliably after 70 years. It reminds me that no matter our age, there’s something special about growing older with a simple sense of adventure—and enjoying the ride.