To Porsche Japan

The other day, thanks to a certain opportunity, I had the chance to visit the Porsche Japan headquarters. Since I live in the Kansai region, I caught an early Shinkansen bound for Shinagawa to coincide with a trip to Tokyo.

Since I was visiting Porsche Japan, I made sure to bring a Porsche Design bag, a Porsche laptop case—basically, all Porsche gear (though you’d have to look closely to notice, lol).

The Porsche Japan headquarters is located in Toranomon Hills, Minato-ku, Tokyo. It was actually my first time visiting Toranomon, and I imagined, “Since it’s called Hills, it must be a high-rise building,” but when I arrived and stepped inside, I was surprised.

It’s incredibly stylish…

The atmosphere is somewhat similar to Grand Front Osaka, but that’s primarily a commercial complex. There’s no office building in Osaka with such a refined vibe. That’s Tokyo for you.

I quickly checked in at reception and took the elevator to the 29th floor where Porsche Japan’s headquarters is located. As I pressed the button for the 29th floor, my nerves peaked during the few seconds it took to arrive. By the time I got there, I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my mouth (I get nervous easily…)

Finally, into the office…

I nervously stepped off the elevator, and the moment I glanced sideways from the elevator hall, the entrance with the “PORSCHE Crest” immediately caught my eye.

This is it…!

The design is simple and predominantly white, somewhat reminiscent of the German Porsche Museum.

“If I’d known, I should have worn a sharp suit…” I thought with a bit of regret, but I checked in and took a seat to wait.

But looking around, I noticed many Porsche goods displayed in glass cases that I had never seen at my local Porsche Center, so I thought, “It’s a waste to just sit here,” and spent my waiting time admiring them.

I want them all~ (laughs)

When I looked up, I saw a famous quote from Porsche’s founder, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, displayed alongside his photo.

“In the beginning I looked around and could not find quite the car I dreamed of. So I decided to build it myself.” (Dr. Ferdinand Porsche)

As I was quietly admiring it, a voice called from behind, “Thank you for waiting, ●●-san!”

Turning around, I saw two very capable-looking, handsome and beautiful people: Kaori Yamazaki, Executive Officer of Porsche Japan, and Alexander Quars, the product manager from Germany.

Nerves at MAX (；ﾟДﾟ)!

Right away, Yamazaki-san kindly offered, “Since you’re here, shall I show you around the office?”

“Oh, really? That would be wonderful!”

With special permission to take photos, I quickly started shooting with my iPhone while touring the office. I thought to myself, I should have brought my serious DSLR camera.

Office Atmosphere

Stepping inside the office, there was a large painting of a Panamera on the left.

So cool…

I thought, “I’d love to hang this at home… but realistically, it’s too big for my room,” and then looked to the right, where there was a meeting room.

The meeting room was named “Panamera.”

When I visited the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles, the meeting rooms were named “Macan” and “Boxster,” and Porsche Japan does the same. This is the largest meeting room, hence the name “Panamera.” It’s a playful touch and very charming. There was also a painting of a Cayenne in the back.

There was also a café space called the “Carrera Lounge,”

and plates displaying Porsche Japan’s vision and each department’s mission,

creating a luxurious space filled with Porsche spirit.

One particularly large plate displayed Porsche Japan’s mission.

“We bravely continue to challenge ourselves with passion and innovation for the Porsche brand,
to deliver joy that exceeds our customers’ expectations.”

I remembered when I test drove the new Panamera, I truly felt this “joy that exceeds expectations.” Every time I drive or learn about Porsche, I’m moved, and I realized it’s thanks to the dedication of the employees who work unitedly toward this mission.

After that, I met employees involved in the recently popular new Cayenne cine ad “3.9sec Experience,” those in charge of the Porsche Truck Experience project, and even a senior executive whom I recognized from the Porsche Carrera Cup race lounge.

Everyone was friendly and the conversation was so enjoyable that I completely forgot to take photos afterward (laughs).

Memorable Conversations

Later, the three of us—Yamazaki-san, Alex-san, and I—had tea and talked. Here are some highlights that left a strong impression on me.

① Porsche Japan’s Important Role

I had vaguely assumed this before, but I learned that Porsche Japan’s role includes negotiating with the German headquarters to adapt new models to better suit the Japanese market environment and user needs, rather than simply launching them as-is.

For example, the original Macan that came to Japan had “power seats only for the driver, manual for the passenger,” but Porsche Japan negotiated, saying, “This won’t be accepted by Japanese customers!” and got power seats installed on the passenger side as well.

Porsche Japan plays a crucial role in understanding the Japanese market, which the German headquarters may not fully grasp, and acting as a bridge in negotiations.

② Strengths of a Smaller Manufacturer

Hearing that Porsche’s global annual sales were 240,000 units (FY2017), I thought, “That’s huge!” but compared to other automakers, Porsche is actually a relatively small company. (Mercedes-Benz Japan sells about 10 times Porsche’s volume) Because of this, employees are close-knit, a family-like culture remains, and company loyalty is very strong.

Indeed, a recent special on the new Cayenne and 911 factories showed how each employee takes pride in being part of Porsche’s creation. I hope this culture continues to be cherished.

③ Pursuing the Latest and Best Without Compromise

Take the new Cayenne launched in Japan this July. While the exterior changes seem subtle, the interior was almost entirely redeveloped from scratch. Alex-san attended meetings with Porsche engineers in Germany and shared that although they could have taken the easier route to produce a decent Cayenne, the engineers deliberately chose to develop it from the ground up, even if it meant a longer path, to create the uncompromising highest-performance Cayenne.

My husband and I recently test drove the new Cayenne and were deeply impressed. It’s thanks to these uncompromising engineers that such a car exists.

④ Porsche Is a Sports Car Manufacturer

This might be obvious, but Yamazaki-san and Alex-san consistently emphasized that Porsche is a sports car manufacturer, and that defines everything. Someone who toured the Porsche factory in Stuttgart told me, “I was surprised to see GT3s coming down the same assembly line as regular 911s! Porsche’s roots are definitely in sports cars!” I couldn’t agree more.

⑤ Porsche Japan Employees Love Porsche

Of course, people who don’t love Porsche probably wouldn’t join Porsche Japan, but the employees’ passion runs deep. They always have photos of Porsches they’ve spotted privately or their favorite angles, and some can talk endlessly about them (laughs).

From the office atmosphere, their expressions, and conversations, I could feel their pride in being part of Porsche. The love for Porsche is the same for both customers and employees.

A Final Commemorative Photo

That sums up what I felt during this visit. Here’s a photo taken with Yamazaki-san and Alex-san at the end.

My husband saw this photo and said,

“The two Porsche Japan folks are posing properly, but you look like an alien caught on camera! LOL”

and burst out laughing…

Indeed… the original photo shows my whole body, but I was so nervous my fingers were bent in odd directions, giving a slightly horror-like vibe, so I edited the photo to crop those out (-_-)

I heard Porsche Japan staff often visit this blog, and they said, “We’re happy you write a blog full of Porsche love. Please keep sharing lots of content!” That made me very happy.

Our wish as Porsche fans is “that Porsche will always remain Porsche.” While many automakers are losing the joy of driving, I hope Porsche continues to create cars that inspire fans as a true sports car manufacturer.

Through this blog’s Porsche Owners File series and sharing insights from owning a Porsche, I hope to continue delivering authentic user voices, even if just a little.

Thank you very much, Yamazaki-san and Alex-san, for this wonderful opportunity.

*The photos and content in this article are published with special permission from Porsche Japan.