Issue 1 2010 > Yokohama's Finest
Yokohama's Finest
In 1965, Jim Thompson was living and working for a local company in Japan. He recognized a need for a reputable international moving service to support the growing international community and established a small company in Yokohama called Transport Services International (TSI), which would eventually become part of the Crown Worldwide Group.
Top: Hiroshi Nakano (on right),
Crown's Tenth Anniversary,
1975
Bottom: Kinjiro Mizuno, 1976
Two of the company's first employees were Hiroshi Nakano and Yoshitsugu Furuhashi, who both joined in 1965. Jim remembers them fondly and remarked, "they were always inseparable friends." Kinjiro Mizuno and Toshio Yanagisawa joined a few years later. Crown congratulates four of Crown's earliest employees!
Nakano-san is now 71 years of age and although he officially retired 11 years ago, he still works as a part-time Packer.
Furuhashi-san is now 69 years of age and retired 10 years ago but he too, continues to work as a part-time Packer for Crown.
Mizuno-san joined the Yokohama team in 1969. Jim recalls that he was hired to work in the accounts department but eventually moved to the operations side of the business and spent a long career as a Crew Chief. Kinjiro Mizuno is now 63 years of age and retired four years ago, and also continues to work as a part-time Packer.
Yanagisawa-san joined in 1970 as a Packer and later became a Warehouse Manager. Toshio Yanagisawa turned 60 in January of 2010 and began his official retirement. He will continue on as a contract worker at the Yokohama warehouse.
Yokohama was, and still is, Japan's largest port of entry and an accessible distance to Tokyo. It is also close to U.S. naval bases such as Yokosuka. In 1965, this was important because the company's first client base was U.S. military families. Today, Crown has office and warehouse facilities in Yokohama, Tokyo and Kobe, which is near Osaka.
Left to right: Hiroshi Nakano, Toshio Yanagisawa, Yoshitsugu Furuhashi and Kinjiro Mizuno, 2009