Detroit / U.S.A.

Detroit is generally known as a "car city." Some people may also be familiar with it as the setting of such movies as Robocop, Beverly Hills Cop (Eddie Murphy worked for the Detroit City Police Department), and 8 Mile. Today I will give a condensed overview of various aspects of Detroit.

As one might expect of a city where the headquarters of the Big Three are located, public transportation infrastructure—trains, subways, etc.—is non-existent; but this is made up for by the highway system, which is very well-developed. The driving laws are also more tolerant than the laws in other states, and people can acquire driver's licenses from the age of sixteen. Those interested in learning about the history of automobiles should pay a visit to the Ford Museum. The cars of past U.S. presidents are proudly on display; their huge size will surprise you.

With successful automakers leading the way, Japanese companies are also very active here. Two-hundred and forty companies are registered in the Japan Business Society of Detroit, which has a membership of 1,600; and over 1,000 students attend supplementary Japanese schools, making this one of the largest Japanese communities in the world.

This city also has professional teams in all of the major sports: the Pistons (basketball), the Lions (football), the Red Wings (ice hockey), and—though not quite as popular as their Japanese counterparts—the Tigers (baseball). When the Yankees and Mariners come to town, the stadium is inexplicably packed with Japanese people. As for golf, not only does Detroit have one of the leading PGA courses, but in terms of number and quality, the public courses in Detroit are among the best in the nation.

Detroit is also a place where one can enjoy the cuisine of a wide variety of countries. I recommend Detroit's Greek cuisine, which is inexpensive, and good value for money. Since the downtown area features a "Greek Town," you might want to increase your finances a little at a casino before going out to eat.

Finally, here's some Detroit trivia. If you were to travel directly north from Detroit, you would reach the country of Canada; but what is the first country you would reach if you were to travel directly south? (The answer is at the bottom of the page.)

There are direct flights to Detroit every day from Osaka, Nagoya, and Narita, so "Irasshai! (Welcome!)" (Katsura Sanshi did a one-man show here last year and this year.)

(Answer: Canada. What, Canada isn't south of America, you say? Actually, the Canadian city of Windsor is located directly south of Detroit.)

View of Detroit's downtown Residential housing in a golf course Southfield Center (in the middle)

Marubeni Group magazine "M-SPIRIT" VOL.24 (November, 2004)