Press Release

Osaka, Japan - 27 February, 2015 - Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. (Takuji Yamamoto, president) announces that Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. (“NTU”; Keiko Brockel, president) has planned and produced a documentary film, titled “[Japanese Hero of the Andes: The Life of Yoshitaro Amano],” as part of the company’s CSR activities. The documentary will be donated to the Japanese American National Museum, and will also be shown inflight beginning March on ANA’s primary international flights. 

■About the film
[Japanese Hero of the Andes: The Life of Yoshitaro Amano],” is a documentary film that focuses on the life of Yoshitaro Amano, a Japanese businessman and researcher of Andean civilization who was active overseas during the Taisho and Showa eras. Fascinated by the Chancay culture of Andean civilization, Amano’s work spanned the gamut of initiating digs and collections of archeological ruins and operation of the “Amano Museum,” which was established as a non-profit facility for cultural preservation, to being awarded an Order of Culture by the Peruvian government for his achievements.

Photo: Yoshitaro Amano

■ANA flight screening period: March through May, 2015.

NTU is involved in the production of a variety of documentary films as CSR activities that could only be undertaken by a Japanese company. The company will continue to engage in business and CSR activities that express gratitude for the existence of the Japanese community that served as the predecessors to Japanese people who conduct business in the U.S.

(For reference)
■Examples of documentary films produced by NTU to date
<2011>
Sponsored production of the "The Untold Story of Ralph Carr and the Japanese," which focuses on the life of a politician who had a major impact on Japanese Americans. This film was donated to the Japanese American National Museum.

<2012>
Produced "Snow Dream – Roots of Sapporo Snow Festival," a documentary that looks at the origin and evolution of the Sapporo Snow Festival held each year in Hokkaido, where the company’s winter tire test course is located. This film was donated to the city of Sapporo.

<2013>
Sponsored production of the "Journey to Washington," a documentary that looks back at the extraordinary life of congressman Daniel Inouye, who was instrumental in building the foundation for Japanese Americans today. This film was also donated to the Japanese American National Museum.