“Global People of Yanmar: Italy Series, Volume 3” covers the life of a Yanmar employee assigned to a post abroad. This time, we visited the home of a local employee who is a kind of mother figure for Mr. Hiramatsu in Italy. How do the Italians enjoy authentic home cooking and what does the gorgeous Italian lifestyle look like? Our report compiled while spending some time in a personal atmosphere includes surprising discoveries.

Toshifumi Hiramatsu
Affiliated to YANMAR R&D EUROPE S.R.L

Appointed as of April 2017. Before his appointment, he was in charge of developing agricultural robots at the Fundamental Technology Research Division of the Research & Development Center at the Yanmar’s Research & Development Unit. At YANMAR R&D EUROPE, he is also engaged in the research of robots for small-size machines.

In love with Japan! Visiting the gorgeous home of the local employee Sonia.

I experience many Italian people’s kindness towards the Japanese and Sonia is one such.
She has been a kind of mother figure for Japanese expats since the launch of YANMAR R&D EUROPE, and there are many things I couldn’t have done without Sonia’s help.
She is not only proficient in Italian, but also in English and Japanese and has helped me with visa arrangements, house hunting and formalities surrounding necessities for everyday life such as electricity, gas and water since I started my new appointment.
It’s very reassuring to know that Sonia is there and I’m very grateful to her.

The recently renovated home overlooks the city of Florence.
In the past, all the employees have gathered here to watch the fireworks! One can feel that all the employees get along well with one another.

Andrea, Sonia’s husband, is also a big fan of Japan!

Curious calligraphy written by Sonia’s husband Andrea. He wrote down Japanese sentences which Saki, a Japanese friend and designer, taught him. The unique calligraphy is also part of the curious and elegant interior.

When I was a university student, I spent an exchange year in Japan and did research on Japanese dolls. Some of them I bought myself, but many of them are presents from family and friends.

Before joining Yanmar, I had almost forgotten my Japanese because I didn’t have the chance to practice Japanese at work, but since I joined the company, I again have the opportunity to practice it.

Before joining Yanmar, I had almost forgotten my Japanese because I didn’t have the chance to practice Japanese at work, but since I joined the company, I again have the opportunity to practice it.

Sonia is a reassuring presence for the Japanese expats.
It’s no exaggeration to say that it is thanks to Sonia that they can devote themselves to work in Italy in an environment in which they don’t have to worry.

Discovering surprising foods in the fridge of an Italian household!

We were curious to see what’s in the fridge… We expected to find typical Italian foodstuffs such as olives, pasta, tomatoes or ham, but what we discovered apart from seasonings was a container with rice and sesame sauce for shabu shabu! They must really be big Japan lovers!

Enjoying delicious home cooking in authentic Italian style!

Sonia took her time to prepare dinner and Mr. Hiramatsu couldn’t hide his delight.
On the menu that day was Sonia’s specialty dish from her birthplace, Sicily, and typical Italian home cuisine.

Single plate meals are called “Piatto Unico” in Italian. This style combining carefully prepared hand-made dishes can often be seen in Italy.
The term is a combination of “Piatto”, meaning plate, and the word “Unico”, meaning single.

< That day’s menu >

Caponata (Sicilian version of Ratatouille; consists of eggplants and bell pepper cooked in tomato sauce)
Parmigiana (layered dish containing eggplant, tomato and ham, etc.)
Mashed potatoes
Scrambled egg with mozzarella cheese
Bread
Cheese
Chocolate pudding and seasonal fruits

Everything about Sonia was gorgeous, not only her home cooking and lifestyle, but also her personality!
It was at this instant when one could feel that this spirit of sharing as a family and not only as a team contributes to the atmosphere within the company.

The next topic of【Global People of Yanmar: Italy Series, Volume 4】will be “Having a close look at what the Italian employees eat for lunch. In fact, it’s sound and healthy!”

Find out about lunch in Italy!
Ciao!