Like This One of Rolf Eckrodt's first acts after arriving in Japan in January was to hand out fist-size chunks of the Berlin Wall. The recipients were the 25 highest officials at Mitsubishi Motors. The Wall relics had a deeper meaning, too.
Japan has to change, like the East.
And change hurts. Weeks later, a dozen Mitsubishi Motors execs were sent packing, taking their rocks with them. DaimlerChrysler's Mr. Fix-It is moving fast. He needs to, because turning Mitsubishi Motors around is going to be far more complicated than DaimlerChrysler anticipated. If Toyota and Honda embody the essence of Japanese excellence, then Mitsubishi Motors represents how much damage the Japanese can do to their own top brands.