Page 52 - Miele D The Magazine 2018

JUBILEE
Still young in Asia
There was cause for celebration in Japan, Hong Kong and China: the Japanese Miele subsidiary was founded as the first one in Asia 25 years ago. Five years later Hong Kong followed. Last but not least Miele ist present in China since 2008.
E mployees came to lunch at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Tokyo with Dr Reinhard Zinkann and Mario
Miranda, Regional Managing Director Asia. At the subsequent press conference 50 rep- resentatives of the media put questions to Reinhard Zinkann and Hideki Matsubara, Managing Director of Miele Japan.
250 dealers, project and commercial customers were invited to the grand anni- versary celebration. The German Ambas- sador Dr Hans-Carl von Werthern also gave the welcoming speech. The evening was ac- companied by harp and violin music. Dur- ing the celebration Reinhard Zinkann and Hideki Matsubara paid tribute to the three oldest business partners, the longest stand- ing customers and the ve longest-serving employees at Miele Japan.
The menu was specially matched to the Miele company history and brand story;
each course had its own particular signi - cance. The starter, Zuwai Crab on tomato jelly with ice cream, on an exquisite soft cheese, represented the history and de- velopment of the business. The ice cream recalled the milk churns that were manu- factured at the time the company was es- tablished. Sea bream with dried tomatoes and mushrooms, with their red and white colours, are served at Japanese celebrations. The veal was cooked for 25 hours using the Sous-Vide process and the dessert repre- sented the exciting future of Miele in Japan that was now dawning.
The Kagami-biraki ceremony, where a sake barrels is opened with wooden ham- mers, was also observed. The sake was then poured into drinking vessels and served to everyone present. Hideki Matsubara, Hans- Carl von Werthern, Reinhard Zinkann, Makoto Sakurai from Nippo Corp. as the
senior business partner of Miele Japan and Mario Miranda opened the barrel together. In Japan this ceremony traditionally repre- sents the start of something new and marks the beginning of an auspicious future.
Over 70 employees gathered to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Miele in Japan.
52 // Miele The Magazine
Kagami-biraki: Hideki Matsubara, Hans-Carl von Werthern, Reinhard Zinkann, Makoto Sakurai and Mario Miranda (from the left).