Thirty-Year Patience Minimum

“Businesses must have a grand vision; only seeing the near-term profits of a year or two cannot bring true success. Instead, one must endure for at least thirty years.”

“1975 was a watershed year for the Japanese population. I boldly predicted that the next significant change in the lifestyle of the Japanese people would occur in 1985. Because that year, the "new Shinkansen" which could travel between Tokyo and Osaka in just one hour, would start operations. According to the Japanese authorities, with modern technology, it could be completed in about three years. However, considering other factors, it will take more than three years. Technical work takes about three years, and including land acquisition, it might take ten years. By this calculation, completion is expected by 1995, but if construction starts in 1985, it means Japan will have entered a new era.”