An article featuring an exclusive interview with President Akio Toyoda was published in the morning edition of the Chunichi Shimbun, a local newspaper in Aichi Prefecture where Toyota Motor Corporation has its headquarters.

Toyoda-san is the grandson of the founder of Toyota Motors and has been president since 2009. As an avid auto racing fan and driver himself, Toyoda-san has promoted sports models like the Lexus IS-F and LF-A races. He has participated as a driver at events like the 2009 24 Nurburgring race under the pseudonym Morizo Kinoshita. He’s also a big support of the Toyota Supra.

As the president of the second largest car manufacturer in the world, the interview reveals his special lockdown facility, how he was able to walk around unnoticed, his take on minus emissions and the 64-year-old discussed his plans for a successor. That interview has been released, and below are some excerpts.

Q. During the declaration of a state of emergency following a surge in COVID-19 cases in Japan, you were leading a sort-of hermit’s life at a company executive training facility in Aichi Prefecture? What was it like?

Toyoda-san: I’m slowly returning to my normal life, but the “evacuation” made me realise a lot of things. My commute time decreased and I didn’t have in-person meetings as often now. Despite that, business goes on as usual. There were people I only saw maybe once a year, but I saw them online more often now. Being unable to see each other usually causes a feeling of separation, but I felt as if we’ve gotten closer, emotionally.

I used to ask, “Please consult me” or “Why do you only come to me for an approval or only ask for permission?” but now I feel that people come to me for consultation more.

At the training facility, there are people here who cook and clean. I was feeling sorry for them. They were not able to have any of their usual days off because I was there, so I told them that, at the very least, they should spend time with their families during the Golden Week holidays [late April]. It was not like I was cooking rice over a campfire on my own, but I kept staff around me to a minimum and on a rotating basis while I spent time there. It was like lodging together.

Nobody noticed me even though I walked around the supermarket with a mask. There were things I became aware of when I talked with the boss of a butcher there and, thanks to genchi genbutsu, I realized the difference in supermarkets that enjoyed a great reputation among the locals. I took as many people as possible to a hamburger shop, ordered a set menu, and in two out of the seven set menu toys, we got the miniature Supras!

Also, I did some colouring. There are coloured pencils that you can do watercolour painting with when dipped into water. The crayons and coloured pencils that I used as a child were quite different from these new ones. My hobbies have always had something to do with movement, such as driving cars or going out somewhere. I don’t have any “quiet” hobbies, where I don’t move at all, so I thought I’d try something I can do right away, like colouring or calligraphy.

I was able to concentrate. I can be very “Zen” when I drive, and when I am sharply focused on something. That is how I relax my brain. Certainly, during quarantine, physically straining myself was a lot easier to avoid as we didn’t need to move or go anywhere, so instead, I was mostly kicking my brain into full gear. I kind of wished I had some big or small ways to relax my brain.

Q. Have there been any changes in your sense of values after facing the COVID-19 crisis?

Toyoda-san: What I’ve come to realise more is that the focus should be centred on people. Even if new technology or skills are developed, it all comes down to whether we can mass produce happiness to the people who are using it.

It’s not good if people say “Life has gotten easier, but the quality of life has come down.” Even with new ventures such as Woven City, having people at the centre is most important and it is our role as those who have always been in the automotive industry to do so.

We have wrestled with environmental issues all along, but I think our main priority had been conforming to the regulations of each country and region. When SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) came into the picture, I hoped mobility would be something that will be pursued by everyone forever, and my desire to provide the freedom of mobility to everyone strengthened all the more [based on the idea of “not leaving a single person behind” in the SDGs].

Another thing I thought of, regarding the SDGs, is that everyone is living on the same planet. We have been promoting “minus emissions” instead of “zero emissions,” and my desire to make Toyota a company that will be acknowledged as a company that focuses not only on certain regions, but the entire earth as its “home planet” was enhanced.

Q. What is your image of an ideal successor?

“Regardless of the name of the next president, whether it’s a Toyoda or not, what is important is that we do not lose sight of our founding principles, and focus on what we can do to achieve smiles on people’s faces continuously like a tree ring grows. With regard to passing down our founding principles to the next generation, I see each and every one of the Toyota executives here [at the venue] and team members in the whole company as its successors.”

Toyoda-san: I think that it would probably be someone who could suggest an idea that I couldn't come up with but where the idea makes you stop and be like “that makes perfect sense”.

Personally, there might be things about this company I would rather not see changed, because I myself have considered and tried a lot so far, but that might just be my own arrogance speaking. I guess what I want to express here is that we have been through so much since day 1, and it is my hope that we do not change what makes us uniquely Toyota.

I may be a member of the founding family, but I'm also just a successor. I have just been in a position to consider and decide what it is we are going to do. But things change when the environment changes.

Even if things changed and went in the completely opposite direction from the one I had or would have chosen, I think every stakeholder would still be happy if my successor were someone who has been able to make even me say "Wow, that makes sense. I couldn't have done that."

In fact, I would wish to pass on the baton to a successor as soon as it makes sense. I thought that my term would have been completed in my first year as president when I attended the public hearing in the U.S. over the massive recall crisis, but it didn't. As a result, I'm still in my position after 11 years.

I have been suggesting new ideas, but I will really have to think things over [about passing the baton] if there comes a time when I see many ideas and proposals to which I might say, "I haven't given that any thought." In a way, they have to exceed me. It's a tough challenge, but it's what's best for our stakeholders.

I don't want to hand over my position to someone who is envious or thinks they are the best. I prefer someone who would say, "Me? Really? You have made the worst last decision."

And I want them to have a spirit of “hating to lose,” something that makes them think they don’t want to lose to me. In reality, they do lose sometimes, just like we all do, but still, I think they need to have this hate-to-lose and never-give-up spirit.

Coverage courtesy of Toyota Times