Dec. 13, 2012
Ohira Village
Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc.
Toyota Motor Corporation
Collaborative Disaster Aid Agreement Signed in Miyagi Prefecture
Coordination Strengthened to Create Communities Resilient to Disasters
Sendai, Japan, December 13, 2012―Miyagi Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture's Ohira Village, Toyota Motor East Japan (TMEJ), and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announce that they have signed an agreement here today to strengthen the coordination of future disaster aid activities in Miyagi Prefecture, a prefecture severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at the Miyagi Prefecture government office that was attended by Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai, Ohira Village Mayor Masahiro Atobe, Toyota Motor East Japan President Takeshi Shirane and TMC Executive Vice President Atsushi Niimi.
With disaster victim rescue and rapid regional recovery essential to the restoration of business operations, the agreement defines basic items of aid from TMEJ and TMC in disaster recovery activities conducted by Miyagi Prefecture and Ohira Village, where one of TMEJ's vehicle-production plants is located. The agreement is aimed at promoting closer communication and regular collaboration among companies and local governments for the foundation of more disaster-resilient communities.
Activities defined in the agreement in which aid would be provided by TMEJ and TMC include: 1) rescuing disaster victims, 2) providing temporary evacuation sites, 3) providing food, drinking water, daily commodities, and vehicles for use in recovery operations; 4) providing storage sites for relief supplies; and 5) providing disaster-related information. In addition, the agreement specifies exploration of other collaborative support possibilities with Miyagi Prefecture and Ohira Village involving TMEJ plant facilities―for example, providing emergency power from plant generators to areas left without electricity by disasters. Also, training and communication overhauls will be conducted to improve the effectiveness of collaborative activities even during non-disaster periods to ensure ready cohesiveness during emergencies.
At the ceremony, Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai said: "Disaster aid agreements with private companies are one of the pillars of our prefecture's disaster prevention plan review. This agreement, which utilizes plant grounds, buildings and equipment, is the first of its kind in our prefecture, and I hope it contributes to further disaster preparedness."
Ohira Village Mayor Masahiro Atobe expressed his wishes that the agreement be the first step in new city development based on lessons learned from previous earthquake disasters and said: "I plan for our town to also maintain close communications with our partners in this agreement."
TMEJ President Takeshi Shirane discussed the importance of the disaster agreement, saying: "We have a responsibility to pass on to future generations our experience working hand-in-hand with the government in disaster recovery activities."
TMC Executive Vice President Atsushi Niimi stated that: "Close coordination with the community is essential for disaster-resilient manufacturing. I hope this agreement will serve as an example to other regions."
Ohira Village and TMEJ will now lead deliberations concerning the execution of the agreement, such as details regarding joint disaster simulation drills and how TMEJ facilities will specifically be utilized.
| Date | Items Legend: ♦Automobile business •CSR ★Other (new projects, etc.) |
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| 2011 | Feb. | ♦Central Motor Co., Ltd.'s Miyagi Plant (now Toyota Motor East Japan's Miyagi Ohira Plant) began operations | ||||||||||
| Mar. | •Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, Toyota implemented the following support activities
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| May | •Served dishes in Toyota's employee cafeterias using ingredients from the Tohoku and Kanto areas, and held Tohoku/Kanto produce and processed food fairs | |||||||||||
| Jun. | •Employees of 15 Toyota Group companies and associated companies began disaster area recovery support volunteer activities in Iwate Prefecture's Rikuzentakata, Ofunato and Sumita. (Recovery activities were performed 14 times between June and November 2011, for a total of 40 days, involving approximately 190 volunteers) •Started Kokoro Hakobu disaster relief project •Provided support for three Toyota Community Concert performances by amateur orchestras in the disaster area, which were delayed by the earthquake (through March 2012) |
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| Jul. | ♦Kanto Auto Works, Ltd., Central Motor Co., Ltd., and Toyota Motor Tohoku Corporation began deliberations regarding a future merger to serve as a third domestic manufacturing site in Tohoku, and improve Japanese manufacturing competitiveness ♦Decision made to build new engine plant at Toyota Motor Tohoku Corporation (current Toyota Motor East Japan's Taiwa Plant in Miyagi Prefecture) ♦Decision made to establish new Toyota East Japan Technical Skills Academy training academy •Emergency AC100 V 1500 W accessory outlets capable of supplying power from car batteries installed free of charge in 40 government vehicles (Prius) owned by prefectures in Tohoku area (through December) •Decision made to donate 100 million yen each (300 million yen total) to Iwate Prefecture's Iwate Learning Hope Fund, Miyagi Prefecture's Great East Japan Earthquake Miyagi's Children Fund, and Fukushima Prefecture's "Fukushima Donation for Orphans Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake" fund •Supported holding of 13 disaster area recovery support concerts by various Japanese amateur orchestras through donations to Federation of Japan Amateur Orchestras (through March, 2012) •Held Toyota Gentaiken Program, special public workshops for elementary school children in disaster areas, in Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyagi (through September) |
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| Aug. | •Provided Toyota assisted-mobility vehicles free of charge for use in Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Disaster Area Barrier Free Automobile Usage and Verification Project | |||||||||||
| Oct. | ★Began business feasibility study for effective energy management oriented "F-Grid Concept" framework in Sendai Hokubu Industrial Park, home to Central Motor Co., Ltd. Miyagi Plant (now Toyota Motor East Japan's Ohira Plant) •At 32nd Toyota Lobby Concert, displayed and sold works by young artists from Fukushima Prefecture who lost their artistic venues back home due to the earthquake |
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| Nov. | ♦Began construction of Toyota Motor Tohoku Corporation's new engine plant in Miyagi Prefecture (now Toyota Motor East Japan's Taiwa Plant) | |||||||||||
| Dec. | ♦Kanto Auto Works, Ltd. (now Toyota Motor East Japan Iwate Plant) began production of Aqua compact hybrid | |||||||||||
| 2012 | Jan. | •Held ceremony for donation of AC 100 V/1500 W accessory outlets installed in Miyagi Prefecture government-owned cars at "'Miyagi Recovery Year One Ceremony―Automobiles Lead the Way to Recovery", held by Miyagi Prefecture •As part of "Toyota―Meetings Between Children and Artists" initiative, held workshops by local artists in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture (through February) •Held "Science Jack-in-the-Box! What-and-Why Lecture" science/craft workshop in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture |
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| Feb. | ♦Installed and began operation of 7,800 kW-rated output cogeneration gas engine generator in Toyota Motor East Japan's Ohira Plant in Miyagi Prefecture | |||||||||||
| Mar. | •As part of "Toyota―Meetings Between Children and Artists" initiative, presented choral piece written by children of Minamisanriku at ceremony held in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture marking one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake; also held post-disaster reconstruction support concert by amateur orchestra to accompany floral tribute | |||||||||||
| Apr. | ♦15 people from Tohoku area accepted into Toyota City Toyota Technical Skills Academy advanced technical training program as inaugural class of Toyota East Japan Technical Skills Academy in advance of its opening (to be transferred to Toyota Motor East Japan after graduation) •"Toyota Master Players, Wien" held recovery support charity concerts in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture and Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. Orchestra also visited Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, and Tono, Iwate Prefecture, holding "Fureai Concerts". Ticket revenue from the Sendai and Morioka performances, and all donations collected at seven performance venues were donated to orphan funds in Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture •Decision made to provide support to Tomodachi Initiative, which gives young people in Tohoku region the opportunity to experience US/Japanese exchange ★Vegi Dream Kurihara Corporation established new bell pepper farm adjacent to Central Motor Co., Ltd.'s Miyagi Plant (now Toyota Motor East Japan's Ohira Plant), with plant supplying water heated by excess heat from in-house power generators |
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| May | ♦Central Motor Co., Ltd.'s Miyagi Plant (now Toyota Motor East Japan's Ohira Plant) began production of Corolla Axio and Corolla Fielder | |||||||||||
| Jun. | •Employees of 15 Toyota Group companies and associated companies continued disaster area recovery support volunteer activities in Iwate Prefecture's Rikuzentakata, Ofunato and Sumita. (Recovery activities were performed 10 times between May and November 2012, for a total of 30 days, involving approximately 170 volunteers) •Decision made to hold five Toyota Community Concerts in Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture •At 33rd Toyota Lobby Concert, a performance was given by three artists who have been engaged in recovery support activities in disaster stricken areas, sending a message of "unforgotten hope" to the people of Tohoku |
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| Jul. | ♦Kanto Auto Works, Ltd., Central Motor Co., Ltd., and Toyota Motor Tohoku Corporation merged, becoming Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc. ♦Began accepting applications for inaugural class of Toyota East Japan Technical Skills Academy |
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| Aug. | ♦Offered AC100 V/1500 W accessory outlets capable of supplying power from car batteries in Lexus CT 200h as options (In July, 2011, Toyota announced that it would gradually expand the range of cars which would offer the option, a product resulting from the lessons learned from the disaster) •Held "Science Jack-in-the-Box! What-and-Why Lecture" science/craft workshop in Morioka and Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture |
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| Sep. | ♦Offered AC100 V/1500 W accessory outlets capable of supplying power from car batteries in Alphard hybrids and Vellfire hybrids as options | |||||||||||
| Oct. | ♦Offered AC100 V/1500 W accessory outlets capable of supplying power from car batteries in Prius and Prius PHV as options ★Together with the Kamaishi city government, performed trial of on-demand buses linking temporary housing and urban areas of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture (Toyota provided the On-Demand Transportation System) |
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| Nov. | ♦Began accepting applications for applicants to Toyota East Japan Technical Skills Academy ★Participated in Iwate Prefecture's Miyako City Blue Challenge Project Council, starting a project to utilize renewable energy to assist with disaster recovery and reinvigorate the area |
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| Dec. | •Christmas accessories hand-made by women living in temporary housing in Miyagi Prefecture and by volunteers at the Fukushima Prefecture volunteer center to be exhibited and sold at the 34th Toyota Lobby Concert ★TMC, Toyota Motor East Japan, Miyagi Prefecture, and Ohira Village enter a disaster support collaboration agreement (agreement signing ceremony held in Miyagi Prefecture government offices) ♦Engine plant construction to be completed, and plant operations to start (scheduled) |
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