Oral History Interview with Stephen E. Van Nostrand, April 20, 1987 Page: 47
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47
Marcello:
Van Nostrand:We had a language program in Peking, and all the young
marketing assistants coming to China for the first time went
up there and spent some time. I think Ray Johnson was...
oh, he was Berlitz., He studied Chinese. Now he has a chance
to use it. In many of the countries where we operate, it has
been essential thatthey have a working knowledge of the
language.
But in Japan, after twenty-five years, I only acquired
enough so that I could travel independently. I could get
around the country and communicate enough so that I could get
the right train, plane, and destination and out in the country
make myself known so that a least I could eat and survive.
I'm a great skier, and I used to like to go out by myself
on ski trips when I could get a free weekend to sort of unwind.
So I picked up a lot of working knowledge of Japanese, and
particularly the ability to read signs and guideposts--that
sort of thing. But it is a very, very minor ability, where
the language is concerned.
Previously in the interview, we were talking about the
joint ventures with either Nippon or Koa and so on. How
did the policy of buying in for no more than 50 percent
evolve? Why 50 percent or less? Do you know what the back-
ground is on that?
The first thing I did when I was assigned to Japan was to go
back in the vault and take out these huge aluminum footlockers
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Marcello, Ronald E. & Van Nostrand, Stephen E. Oral History Interview with Stephen E. Van Nostrand, April 20, 1987, book, April 20, 1987; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc306889/m1/49/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Oral History Program.