Among the 780,000 people employed in Japan's auto industry, only three are women responsible for the rollout of new models. They all work at Nissan Motor Co.
Mie Minakuchi is behind the newest Note hatchback, Nissan's top domestic seller, which has seen sales triple in five months. A popular feature among buyers: its easy-to-open doors.
"I myself am not very strong and I didn't want to make a car that I wouldn't find easy to use," said Minakuchi, the 44- year-old chief product specialist for the Note.