Woven City Official Launch–Multiplying Smiles by Kakezan

First of all, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who has answered the call and come together to embrace this unprecedented challenge called Woven City. Thank you.

To some, it may seem as though this project has gone completely smoothly.

But to be honest — it hasn’t.

The idea of Woven City actually began at an employee meeting at Toyota Motor East Japan.

Speaking purely from his personal conviction, and before any formal company approval, then-President Toyota said at that meeting,”Let’s build a prototype city for the future.”

If it hadn’t been for those words, this project, which continues to excite and challenge us in so many ways, would never have come to life.

And, without knowing what the “right” answers were, we have kept exploring the unknown, and taken one step at a time to bring us to this day.

Along the way, we faced countless obstacles.

There were many times when I myself wondered, “Can we really do this?”

Every time, what gave me strength were my colleagues who believed in doing something “For others” and “Weaving the Future”, and who dared to take the first step.

Today’s moment is the result of the collective courage of the Weavers (residents and visitors), the Inventors, and all our partners who are shaping the future together with us.

One of Woven by Toyota’s values is “Start the Momentum.”

Even when the goal was unclear, even when the answers were unknown, everyone raised their hand and said, “Let’s start by trying.” And together, we set out on this journey.

For every step taken by every person, I am truly grateful.