There is something I wanted to say to everyone from Toyota Motor East Japan: “Welcome home.”
Given how much things have changed here, it may not feel quite like “home” to you anymore.
However, if I may say so, we believe we are carrying on the spirit of Higashi-Fuji.
The Woven City project is about connecting our past and present to the future. Even though we don’t yet know all the answers, we want to explore and shape it together with everyone.
Today, as Toyota transforms into a mobility company, we have a vision to “Invent our path forward, together.” But to be honest, there are still many things we don’t fully know or understand about what exactly we should do.
In such times, I believe we need a place where it’s easy to bring ideas like “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had something like this?” to life. A place where we can quickly try things out, pause when we’re unsure, and return to when we need to find our footing again.
The Toyota Group has accumulated a wealth of expertise and tangible and intangible assets through the pursuit of ever-better cars, and we intend to apply these to areas beyond carmaking.
We will start by trying things out. Then we’ll invite the residents, our “Weavers,” to share their comments and feedback so that together, we can create ever-better products, services, and value.
We will keep striving and exploring, seeking ways to bring smiles to our customers and well-being for all. That is why this place, the starting point of the future, is so important.
Over the course of 53 years, members of the Higashi-Fuji team poured their hearts into every single car crafted here. And by listening to customers, you continued to make improvements for them. This is where true kaizen (continuous improvement) was pursued and ever-better carmaking took place.
That spirit of monozukuri (craftsmanship), lives on here (at Woven City).
While what we do here may look different in form and appearance from what our predecessors did, we want it to carry the same spirit and sense of purpose. With our generation’s own hopes and aspirations, we want to pass that on to the generations to come.
To the 125 of you here today, I hope you will come back any time you like and consider Woven City a place where you can always return.
