CEIPA and TOYOTA GROUP Joint Press Conference

CEIPA and TOYOTA GROUP will hold a joint press conference to announce the MUSIC WAY PROJECT, on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. JST.

Date / Time

Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 1:30 p.m. JST -

Speakers

• Shunichi Tokura, Composer/Producer, Commissioner for Cultural Affairs
• Toshiake Muramatsu, Chair of the Board of CEIPA
• Akio Toyoda, TOYOTA GROUP Representative

Event detail

Presentation and Q&A session

Presentation by Akio Toyoda, TOYOTA GROUP Representative

Hello, everyone. I am Akio Toyoda.

I was the President of Toyota Motor Corporation for 14 years between 2009 and 2023.

Looking back on those years, I believe that my driving force was my love for Japan.

I have many thoughts about Japan, but I truly love JAPAN.

That's why I want Japan to continue being a country that is needed by the world.

No matter how strong the yen was, I always believed that Japan must not lose its strength in monozukuri or manufacturing, so I insisted on keeping plants in Japan despite opposition.

Even so, whenever I see Japanese people who want to leave Japan and take on the world, I can't help but cheer them on.

I truly respect people like Ichiro Suzuki, who have achieved just that and are recognized around the world.

I was really happy to hear the recent news of his election into the Hall of Fame, and so I took out an ad congratulating him.

Ichiro, if you're watching, please let me know when you'll be in the office so I can congratulate you in person!

And it's not just in baseball. Young Japanese people such as basketball player Rui Hachimura and, actor Anna Sawai, and many others have also been working hard, and I'm very excited to see their achievements.

Just this morning, Anna Sawai was awarded Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Another congratulations to Anna!

I am always excited to see these young people's success.

I see many fans cheering enthusiastically for the Japanese national team during the WBC and World Cup.

I myself once represented Japan in field hockey 50 years ago.

I still remember the pride of carrying the Japanese flag and the power that comes from people cheering you on.

When I see athletes being cheered on at the Olympics and Paralympics, I also feel encouraged.

But at the same time, I've also felt some concerns.

For example, in motorsports, there are young Japanese people who are taking on the world, but unfortunately, they are not supported as much as those playing baseball or basketball...

And if I'm being honest, the Japanese automotive industry is competing in the world as a representative of our country, but it feels like people don't understand that.

I was struggling with these thoughts when I met with those at CEIPA and Mr. Tokura.

I learned that Japanese entertainment is also trying to compete globally for Japan.

It made me genuinely want to support their efforts.

Cars have specifications expressed in numbers.

In the past, Toyota used these specs to describe the quality of a car.

I understand that these specifications are important for mass produced products, but in my opinion, the quality of a car is not something that can be expressed in numbers.

I think cars are more emotional.

I myself am involved in car development as a driver, and what I value is quality that I feel physically in the ride, not the numbers.

I believe that cars made in this way have stories.

Numbers are important, but I want to value the story behind each and every vehicle.

Music also has stories.

How long has music existed?

Although I don't know how many pieces of music exist, I do know that no two are the same...

Each song has its own story, which the artist puts their heart soul into creating.

Even more important, there are personal stories for each person listening and memories attached to each song.

I believe that Toyota has much more to learn from music...

I have been far removed from the world of music.

But as the Toyota Group, we would like to learn from this opportunity and help Japanese entertainment become more recognized around the world.

I am looking forward to being inspired and learning a lot from you all.

Thank you very much.

Related Content

• A Collaborative CEIPA and TOYOTA GROUP Project to Drive the Japanese Music Industry's Globalization and Growth and Create a Path to Take on the World
  CEIPA and the TOYOTA GROUP Launch the MUSIC WAY PROJECT