As a precocious 15-year-old in 1946, Yoshitami Arai looked around at a Japan that was, he said, "totally destroyed." Then at school in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, he was already beginning to understand the need of the nation to produce businessmen who would rebuild the economy. From that time on, he determined that he would be a businessman, an effective, successful one, for the sake of the country.
Today Tom, his usual name in the international community, has the satisfaction of knowing he has led a life of effectiveness, leadership and success. He is a popular, prominent figure socially and in business circles both domestic and international. He has a broad sweep of interests, and the inner resources to give time to each. He said: "In the earliest days I wanted to serve the country, not make money for myself. Not until later did I think of my own wealth."
From Chiba, Tom went to London to take a certificate in advanced business at Pitman's College. After that, most of his overseas connections were with the United States. On his return from London to Tokyo, he joined the Japan Productivity Center, which sent him to Washington, D.C. For three months he trained in the U.S. State Department's department of language services. Assigned then to the International Cooperation Administration, he acted as interpreter and escort for productivity study teams arriving from Japan.