Through the Eyes of the Consul General of Japan in Detroit

When I tell people in Michigan that I have traveled to Ohio on official business 50 times in just over a year and a half since arriving in Detroit, I am invariably met with disapproving looks. Michigan and Ohio are rivals in just about everything, not just American football. Compared with Ohio, a diverse state anchored by its “Big C” cities—Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati—Michigan’s population and businesses are concentrated heavily in the Detroit metropolitan area. I had assumed there was not much to see elsewhere in the state, apart from Lansing, the state capital, and Battle Creek, home to companies such as DENSO. But this year, I had several opportunities to visit Grand Rapids in quick succession, in March, May, June, and October. Thanks in part to Rick Baker, President and CEO of the Grand Rapids Chamber, who served as my guide, I quickly grew fond of the city.
 
Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second-largest city after Detroit, has a population of around 200,000, compared with Detroit’s 640,000. The two cities are as different as Tokyo and Osaka. Detroit is the Motor City, while Grand Rapids’ major industries include furniture, medical devices, and healthcare. Detroit’s sister city is Toyota City, home to Toyota, in Aichi Prefecture, while Grand Rapids has a sister-city relationship with Omihachiman in Shiga Prefecture, Michigan’s sister prefecture in Japan. Roughly 70 percent of Detroit’s population is Black, while Grand Rapids has historically attracted many immigrants from the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and other European countries.
 
Furthermore, the DeVos and Van Andel families have long wielded considerable influence over politics—both families are Republican—as well as business, culture, and sports in Grand Rapids. Fourteen years ago, the DeVos family established Start Garden to support startups. The Van Andel family, meanwhile, operates a think tank that brings together healthcare researchers from around the world.
 
When I first met Mayor LaGrand, he told me, “My family runs a liquor store and distills bourbon,” and presented me with a bottle of his own whiskey, called Long Road. Since then, whenever I visit Grand Rapids, we have dinner together and discuss topics ranging from the rule of law to differences in Japanese and American aesthetics.
 
There are not many Japanese companies in the area, but Kawasaki Heavy Industries manufactures lawn mowers there. JR Automation’s engineering expertise is also impressive. The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan invited me to give a lecture on Japanese diplomacy. While I was in town, I also stopped by Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Its Japanese garden is larger than the one at Cranbrook (featured in A Consul General’s Perspective, Vol. 13) and features an elaborate arrangement of sculptures and other artistic elements. On the day I visited, the park was hosting a Chihuly exhibition.
 
The Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner featured an extraordinary pair of former U.S. presidents as guests: George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. With a wink, President Bush criticized the Trump administration, remarking, “There used to be something called freedom of speech in America.” I feel that Grand Rapids retains a remarkable degree of this kind of openness and good humor.
 
“Grand Rapids welcomes everyone. It is safe, highly educated, and not as dependent on the automotive industry as Detroit. I was born in Iowa myself, but I have come to love Grand Rapids and have made it my home. I would love to see more Japanese people come here, too,” said President Baker of the Chamber of Commerce.
Grand Rapids is a three-hour drive west of Detroit. To members of the Japanese business community, especially those considering further investment in Michigan, why not make the trip and discover Grand Rapids for yourselves?