73-Year-Old Toyota Engineer Applies to Chinese Automaker: Japan Work Ethic vs Age Discrimination
73-Year-Old Toyota Veteran Applies to Chinese Car Company, Sparking Debate on Age and Experience
A 73-year-old Japanese automotive engineer with 53 years of industry experience has applied to a Chinese automaker, igniting a heated discussion on Zhihu (3.28M views) about work ethic, age discrimination, and the value of veteran expertise.
The Resume
The engineer highlights an extraordinary career:
- Toyota Motor Corporation (1974-2015): Over 40 years in automotive R&D and lean manufacturing
- Great Wall Motors (2015-2021): 5.5 years in lean management, SE, standardization, and quality assurance
- Toyota Technical Award (2018): Received at Great Wall Motors for technical development contributions
- Education: Kumamoto Industrial College, Automotive Engineering
- Salary expectation: 50-60K RMB per month, 12-month basis
- Location preference: Shanghai Hongkou District
His Motivation
Despite his advanced age, the engineer stated he is in good health and wishes to 'utilize a lifetime of accumulated knowledge, skills, and qualifications to achieve the value of working and learning until old age.' His motto: live to old age, learn to old age, work to old age.
Why This Sparks Debate
- Japanese work culture: The lifelong dedication exemplifies Japan legendary work ethic, contrasting with trends toward early retirement globally
- Chinese EV boom: Chinese automakers aggressively hiring global talent, with this application highlighting the flow of expertise from Japan to China
- Age discrimination: In most markets, a 73-year-old applicant would be dismissed automatically. Chinese companies relative openness to senior international talent reflects different cultural attitudes
- Privacy controversy: An HR professional posted the resume publicly, raising questions about whether this constitutes a privacy violation
Industry Context
Chinese automakers have been actively recruiting experienced engineers from Japanese and German automakers as they seek to improve manufacturing quality and compete globally. This application is part of a broader talent migration from legacy automakers to Chinese EV companies.
Source: Zhihu — 3.28M views