Joining Siemens
When his father died, Noguchi left the Koriyama Lighting Company where he had worked for two years and returned to his family in Tokyo where he joined the Japanese branch of Siemens, a German company, in 1901.
This led to a profound transformation for his life ahead. His father’s dream was to realize grand aspirations, and joining this company gave him an excellent opportunity to inherit the aspirations of his father and seek his own potential.
Siemens was the world’s leading manufacturer of electrical machinery and equipment. It was founded by Werner von Siemens, an electrical inventor who was a contemporary of Thomas Edison.
Hermann Kessler, the manager of the Tokyo branch, was an excellent engineer and an internationally renowned electrician. Under Kessler, Noguchi learned about equipment installation, construction design, and other skills, amassing practical training in the electric power business. He was able to meet a wide range of people in the electric power industry, and gain a deeper knowledge of contracts, water rights, and patents.
Shitagau Noguchi (33 years old)
Kessler’s impression of Noguchi at the time was that of, “a man with eyes, close-cropped hair, who was full of spirit. He was very persistent, and put his full effort into everything he did.” This indicates how Noguchi tackled his work passionately and eagerly every day.
Although he worked at Siemens for only three years, the many skills he learned and the great trust he had earned from Siemens’ executives during those three years would benefit him in later businesses and in the introduction of calcium cyanamide technology from overseas.