'Inventing Our Path Forward, Together'―Chairman Toyoda Presents His Vision for Toyota

This chart depicts the Toyota Group's lineage, starting with the establishment of Toyoda Shoten in 1895.

Eager to ease the burden on his mother, Sakichi Toyoda immersed himself in researching weaving machines, and in 1890 invented the Toyoda wooden hand loom.

Thinking of others, learning, honing skills, making things, and bringing smiles to people's faces-I believe that this passion and attitude toward invention is truly the Toyota Group's starting point.

From there, Toyoda Boshoku and Toyoda Automatic Loom Works were established, extending the company vertically like the warp threads on a loom.

In the 1930s, Kiichiro Toyoda began to get actively involved in the business.

"It is not just about making automobiles. With Japanese ideas and skills, we must create an automobile industry for Japan."

At that time, the technological standards of Japanese industry were lagging far behind the West.

He, therefore, sought to revamp the country's industrial base by producing automobiles domestically.

In addition to automobiles, Kiichiro also studied aircraft.

He is said to have told his son, Shoichiro, to "build a house no fire can burn down."

What Kiichiro wanted to create was happiness for the people of Japan, and a future that allowed the next generation to dream.

Of course, neither an automobile nor the future can be created by a single person.

We need partners to share the struggle, to encourage and elevate each other.

Many companies in the parts, steel, rubber, and electronics industries started following in Toyota's footsteps.

Not all bore the Toyoda name.

Despite their different backgrounds, Toyota joined forces with partners who possessed a shared purpose: to establish an automobile industry.

As we formed alliances with companies possessing their own unique character and strengths, the Toyota Group's lineage extended horizontally, like the weft on a loom.