![](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/513BU3wmh2L._SL160_.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t- \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
- \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAmazon<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
- \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u697d\u5929\u5e02\u5834<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
With a feature looking back at Porsche\u2019s history, the issue is fascinating and a real pleasure to read. (In my previous blog post, I also wrote about a passage from the magazine in \u201cThoughts Inspired by Momoe Yamaguchi\u2019s \u2018Play Back Part 2\u2019: \u2018Don\u2019t Make Fun of Me\u2014You\u2019re the One to Blame.\u2019<\/a>\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n
As I flipped through the pages again, I realized I\u2019d skipped an article near the beginning. Its title was:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat Was the Porsche Scene in Japan Like from the 1950s to the 1960s?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
That sounds interesting. Then I read the first few lines\u2014and was surprised!<\/p>\n
To explore \u201cOur Porsche Sports Cars: 70 Years,\u201d we first need to know where Porsche\u2019s story in Japan began. So we spoke with Masaru Okubo, founder and senior adviser of Showa Motors\u2014the oldest Porsche authorized dealer still in operation in Japan, now operating Porsche Centers Nishinomiya and Sakai.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9035-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt turns out Showa Motors is the very dealer that has always looked after our family\u2019s Porsche. And, wait a minute\u2014it\u2019s the oldest Porsche dealer still operating in Japan? I had no idea! (\uff1b\uff9f\u0414\uff9f)!<\/strong><\/p>\n
So, since the story suddenly felt very personal, I decided to read on right away.<\/p>\n
Porsche Arrives in Japan for the First Time in 1953<\/h3>\n
The first Porsches were imported into Japan in 1953. It all began when Sanwa Motors, which had signed an agreement to become Porsche\u2019s official importer, brought in just two 356s.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Then, in 1955, ten 356 Pre-As were imported, three of them arriving in Osaka. Two were bought by a major corporation, leaving just one for a private buyer. Apparently, the individual who purchased that Porsche was someone with considerable social standing both before and after the war. (I wonder who it was!)<\/span><\/p>\n
At the time, Mr. Okubo was working as a mechanic at Yanase Motors (now Yanase)<\/span>, and the company received a request to service that rare Porsche.<\/strong> With no service manual or other information available, he initially turned the job down\u2014but eventually agreed to take it on.<\/p>\n
The Porsches of that era had beautiful, handcrafted bodies, and their parts and engine sounds were unlike anything he had encountered in other cars.<\/strong> A car enthusiast, Mr. Okubo was instantly captivated. In 1959, he founded Showa Motors as a foreign-car repair shop. Later, he happened to spot an ad in the automotive magazine Car Graphic<\/em> seeking applications from Porsche dealers. He applied immediately and became the first authorized Porsche dealer in Japan.<\/p>\n
![\"Porsche](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/2017070910-800x530.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFor context, a new 911 cost \u00a54.35 million in 1965\u2014equivalent to around \u00a537 million today.<\/strong> Even more surprising, \u201calmost everyone paid in cash.\u201d<\/strong> Installment plans were only just becoming available, and even the longest term was 24 months. That meant monthly payments equivalent to about \u00a51.5 million today\u2014so you had to be exceptionally wealthy to buy one, and the dealer needed customers who truly understood what made a Porsche special.<\/p>\n
Today, you can find a used Porsche and take delivery within a few weeks, or finance your purchase to keep the monthly payments manageable. For most models, even a new Porsche can be delivered within a year. But the world of Porsche ownership we enjoy today exists because the people who came before us paved the way from scratch.<\/p>\n
When I think about it that way, it gives me a lot to reflect on.<\/p>\n
Would They Hire Me?<\/h3>\n
Even back when I worked in sales, I was the kind of employee who wanted to understand the history and background behind every product and service.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy was this product created?\u201d \u201cWhat did its makers hope to achieve?\u201d \u201cWhat was the process of trial and error like?\u201d \u201cHow did customers who experienced it at the time feel about it?\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n
I hardly ever got the chance to share those details in presentations to customers. Still, knowing a product\u2019s history and background made me feel I could sell it with more passion, carrying the thoughts and effort of everyone involved along with me.<\/strong> The more I learned, the better I sold. On the other hand, even after studying, I couldn\u2019t sell a product that didn\u2019t feel right to me. (I was never much suited to corporate life, haha.)<\/span><\/p>\n
So whenever I say things like \u201cI\u2019ve been researching Porsche history\u201d or \u201cI heard Porsche is like this,\u201d my husband says:<\/p>\n
What\u2019s with you\u2014are you planning to become a Porsche salesperson? If a Porsche dealership is hiring, why not apply? Haha.<\/p>\n
And I\u2019m not exactly opposed to the idea. These days, I find myself saying:<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, maybe! You don\u2019t see many women in sales at Porsche dealerships, so maybe that would make me stand out. I wonder if they\u2019d hire me?\u201d<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s where things stand today. (Haha.)<\/p>\n
\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t911DAYS Vol.73 (911\u30c7\u30a4\u30ba Vol.73)<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcreated by Rinker<\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t- \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
- \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAmazon<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
- \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u697d\u5929\u5e02\u5834<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"911DAYS The latest issue of 911DAYS 2018 AUTUMN Vol. 73 has just hit the shelves. This issue\u2019s special feature is titled \u201cOur Porsche Sports Cars: 70 Years of Falling in Love with Porsche.\u201d With a feature looking back at Porsche\u2019s history, the issue is fascinating and a real pleasure to read. (In my previous blog post, I also wrote about a passage from the magazine in \u201cThoughts Inspired by Momoe Yamaguchi\u2019s \u2018Play Back Part 2\u2019:...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=6666","footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-porsche-mini-information","en-US"],"yoast_head":"
A Story About Japan\u2019s Oldest Porsche Dealer Still in Business - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the story of Japan\u2019s oldest Porsche dealer, from the first 356s in 1953 to the roots of Porsche ownership today.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Story About Japan\u2019s Oldest Porsche Dealer Still in Business - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover the story of Japan\u2019s oldest Porsche dealer, from the first 356s in 1953 to the roots of Porsche ownership today.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/panameralife\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-09T21:00:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-12-04T03:19:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9036.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Story About Japan\u2019s Oldest Porsche Dealer Still in Business - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","description":"Discover the story of Japan\u2019s oldest Porsche dealer, from the first 356s in 1953 to the roots of Porsche ownership today.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Story About Japan\u2019s Oldest Porsche Dealer Still in Business - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","og_description":"Discover the story of Japan\u2019s oldest Porsche dealer, from the first 356s in 1953 to the roots of Porsche ownership today.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/","og_site_name":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/panameralife\/","article_published_time":"2018-11-09T21:00:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-12-04T03:19:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9036.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"A Story About Japan\u2019s Oldest Porsche Dealer Still in Business","datePublished":"2018-11-09T21:00:56+00:00","dateModified":"2018-12-04T03:19:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/"},"wordCount":839,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9036.jpg","articleSection":["Porsche Trivia"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/","name":"A Story About Japan\u2019s Oldest Porsche Dealer Still in Business - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9036.jpg","datePublished":"2018-11-09T21:00:56+00:00","dateModified":"2018-12-04T03:19:42+00:00","description":"Discover the story of Japan\u2019s oldest Porsche dealer, from the first 356s in 1953 to the roots of Porsche ownership today.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9036.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9036.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"caption":"\u96d1\u8a8c, \u8eca, PORSCHE, 911"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/showa-jidosha-porsche\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u30db\u30fc\u30e0","item":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Story About Japan\u2019s Oldest Porsche Dealer Still in Business"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/","name":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0","description":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u306b\u9b45\u4e86\u3055\u308c\u305f\u59bb\u304c\u66f8\u304f\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\u3067\u3059\u3002\u6240\u6709\u3059\u308b\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7 911\u30ab\u30ec\u30e9\uff08964\uff09\u3001911GT3\u3001\u30dc\u30af\u30b9\u30bf\u30fc\u3001\u30d1\u30ca\u30e1\u30fc\u30e9\u306e\u30ec\u30d3\u30e5\u30fc\u3084\u7dad\u6301\u8cbb\u3001\u30c4\u30fc\u30ea\u30f3\u30b0\u8a18\u306a\u3069\u3002\u30cb\u30e5\u30fc\u30b9\u8a18\u4e8b\u3067\u306f\u5206\u304b\u3089\u306a\u3044\u751f\u306e\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u306e\u58f0\u3092\u5b9a\u671f\u914d\u4fe1\u3059\u308b\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\u3067\u3059\u3002","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#organization","name":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/unnamed.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/unnamed.jpg","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/panameralife\/","https:\/\/x.com\/Mina_Panamera","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mina_porsche\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCoyAW0ifcnk05Iryf7-bkhg"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} - \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u697d\u5929\u5e02\u5834<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"911DAYS The latest issue of 911DAYS 2018 AUTUMN Vol. 73 has just hit the shelves. This issue\u2019s special feature is titled \u201cOur Porsche Sports Cars: 70 Years of Falling in Love with Porsche.\u201d With a feature looking back at Porsche\u2019s history, the issue is fascinating and a real pleasure to read. (In my previous blog post, I also wrote about a passage from the magazine in \u201cThoughts Inspired by Momoe Yamaguchi\u2019s \u2018Play Back Part 2\u2019:...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=6666","footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-porsche-mini-information","en-US"],"yoast_head":"
- \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\u697d\u5929\u5e02\u5834<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n