During a childhood in Saxony, Germany filled with the joys of taking things apart and building with LEGO, Christian Scholz showed early inclinations that pointed towards a career in engineering. “I was always the kind of person who tried a lot of things and solved problems in a practical way,” he recalls.
His academic path took him to TU Bergakademie Freiberg – one of Germany’s oldest technical universities – where he took a newly-established course in vehicle construction, with a focus on material science. “It was really interesting to me because it wasn’t purely scientific; we had a lot of lectures from industry professionals, people from Audi and Mercedes, which made it very practical.”
Crisis Management
However, as Scholz graduated in 2009, the automotive industry was reeling, one of the sectors hardest hit by the global financial crisis. Fortunately, an opportunity arose for a PhD at Technische Universität Berlin in material science and tribology (the study of friction, wear and lubrication). His doctoral work introduced him to lubrication engineering and surface technology, disciplines that would shape his future career.
Friendship with a colleague who had been sent to do his PhD at the same research institute from KYB Corporation, a shock absorber manufacturer in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, would lead to an unexpected path towards Japan. Having never seriously considered working oversees, let alone relocating his very young family to the other side of the world, moving to Japan was a big decision. But with the company he was working for in dire financial straits, he had to give it due consideration. “When my friend suggested it, we discussed it as a family. There had to be no blocking points for anyone—we had to decide together.”
Beyond Organised
Like many, Scholz was impressed by Japan’s incredible levels of organisation and structure, including the highly efficient public transport systems. “Even from a German perspective,” he adds with a smile. An overwhelmingly positive experience, Scholz would have been happy to extend the two-year stint. But with KYB not providing a firm commitment, he returned to Germany in 2016. There he joined Pfäffikon-headquartered Oerlikon, a multinational specialist in advanced materials, coatings, and additive manufacturing.
But even while working in Germany, Scholz maintained ties to Japan. “Over time, I took on more tasks related to Asia – working with colleagues in Korea, China, India, and Japan. I always valued keeping that connection alive.” At the beginning of 2022, he took over as lead for APAC for his division supplying specialised automotive components.
A Family Affair
In 2023, Scholz was presented with an opportunity to relocate to Japan with Oerlikon to head up its Japan operations and take responsibility for automotive regionally. While the decision was again a family affair, this time his children were old enough to be consulted, and more aware of what to expect. “When we visited Japan in 2018, they got a taste of it, which helped. But kids are kids, and sometimes they still complain about some things being better in Germany,” he laughs. “But they also know how much freedom they have here. They can walk to school in five minutes, play soccer with friends; it’s amazing for them.”
The Scholz family has returned to Yokohama, where they lived during their first stint in Japan, in no small part due to the presence of the German School.
“It’s different from Germany, where school isn’t really seen as a community. Here, there are events, sports teams, and even an East Asian Games, with children coming from German schools all over the region.” His youngest son, despite arriving with no Japanese language skills, quickly adapted. “Now he speaks a lot, but mostly kids’ talk. He even made friends with older kids, which was really impressive to see.”
The More Things Change
Oerlikon’s Japan headquarters are in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, with operations in Kobe, Nagoya, Shizuoka and Tochigi. Working in the Japanese corporate world continues to throw up inevitable challenges, including linguistic hurdles even when dealing with multinational firms. Tech has been a saviour here, with tools like ChatGPT now able to compose more than passable business emails in Japanese. “Google Translate was a big milestone, but now we can really express what we want to say. It makes life so much easier.”
But the lack of progress in digitalisation has been a surprise, though Scholz concedes that Germany also has a way to go, while he feels some administrative processes have actually become more cumbersome.
Despite these challenges, Scholz embraces the cultural richness of his adopted home, exploring Japan extensively with his family and still appreciating the idea of continuous improvement that permeates nearly every aspect of life. Scholz hopes to extend his time in Japan beyond his initial three-year posting. “I’m already in discussions. There are still so many places to visit, and I’d like to improve my Japanese.”
Text: Gavin Blair for SCCIJ.
