▁N iss an ' s ▁focus ▁from ▁economy ▁vehicles ▁towards ▁sport ier ▁vehicles , ▁and ▁is ▁regarded ▁by ▁D ats un / N iss an ▁Z ▁Car ▁enthus iast s ▁as ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁the ▁Z - Car , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁D ats un ▁ 5 1 0 . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁A so h ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Sh iz u oka ▁Pref ect ure , ▁Japan , ▁the ▁second ▁of ▁four ▁children ▁of ▁a ▁well - off ▁business man ▁whose ▁post ings ▁took ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁various ▁places ▁in ▁Japan ▁and ▁also ▁to ▁Taiwan . ▁While ▁in ▁Taiwan , ▁the ▁young ▁Y ut aka ▁fell ▁ill ▁with ▁mal aria ▁and ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁estate ▁of ▁his ▁pat ernal ▁grand father , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁land owner ▁in ▁S ait ama ▁Pref ect ure , ▁to ▁con val es ce ▁and ▁attend ▁school . ▁He ▁would ▁gain ▁his ▁first ▁expos ure ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁mid - 1 9 2 9 , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁to ▁enter ▁his ▁father ' s ▁al ma ▁mater ▁of ▁Ke io ▁University . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁he ▁got ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁ship ' s ▁cl erk ▁and ▁assistant ▁pur ser ▁on ▁the ▁fre ighter ▁London ▁Mar u , ▁carrying ▁a ▁cargo ▁of ▁raw ▁sil k ▁to ▁Victoria , ▁British ▁Columbia ▁and ▁V ancouver , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ 2 0 ▁passengers ▁to ▁Seattle . ▁By ▁several ▁reports , ▁he ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁four ▁months ▁travel ing ▁around ▁the ▁Pacific ▁North