午夜剧场

The recently published "Nissan-Renault Alliance Oral History," which I co-authored with friends from both within 午夜剧场 and outside, is the third installment of our oral history series, following two previous works focused on Nikkeiren documents. Oral history is "spoken history," where the experiences of individuals who witnessed significant historical events are recorded through direct interviews as materials for future generations. This volume records the testimonies of six individuals involved in Renault's capital injection into Nissan in 1999 (referred to as the Alliance). What happens to employment and labor-management relations, typified by long-term employment, when a Japanese company becomes "foreign-owned"? Based on this awareness, the testimonies obtained from those involved regarding employment adjustments following the closure of the Murayama Plant, cross-functional teams, corporate restructuring through MBOs, and new product development systems serve as precious resources. This book stands apart from topical news such as Mr. Carlos Ghosn's escape or the internal politics between Nissan and Renault.

Through this publication, I felt deeply how important it is for the interviewer and the speaker to communicate smoothly and build a relationship of trust for oral history. Since the "arrest drama" at Haneda Airport on November 19, 2018, the evaluation of Mr. Carlos Ghosn has completely changed. To borrow a movie title, it is literally "High and Low" (Heaven and Hell).

Of course, there is only one historical fact. It has nothing to do with Mr. Ghosn's arrest. However, while that may be the logic, in reality, this point affects the position of the original authors. As E.H. Carr's famous quote goes, "History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past." Setting aside internal reports, many of the original authors hesitated regarding the publication. "The evaluation of the Alliance 20 years ago is not directly related to this current incident. Let us leave your precious words for future generations." After many requests via phone and email, six out of the eight people we asked to testify agreed to the publication. I am truly grateful and wish to express my heartfelt gratitude.

By the way, because this book listens to the testimonies of multiple people involved in the Alliance, the results are not necessarily consistent. As a participant, one might think their own statement is the most accurate, but as a researcher, it is the resolution of contradictions that piques intellectual curiosity. I would like to leave the clarification of the truth to the readers.

Atsushi Yashiro (Co-editor)

午夜剧场 Press

320 pages, 3,960 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.