[Report] The World's No.1 Auto Group Began... Visiting the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya, Japan
Honoring the Founder's Group Establishment Process, History, and Spirit
From the 'Group's Origin' Textile Business to the Automotive Industry
A Place for Learning Technological Innovation and History... Contributing to Society and Economy

"Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation Group, was an outstanding engineer and inventor. The founder's spirit, who was sincere about technology and manufacturing, is still being inherited by today's employees."

On the 22nd, after about an hour's drive from Nagoya Airport in Japan, we arrived at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Michitaka Okugawa, a senior advisor working as a curator at the museum, said this to the domestic press. He retired last year after working as a production technology engineer at Toyota and started working here this year, where the history of Toyota is exhibited.

As a curator, he is responsible for considering how to present the company's history to visitors. He selects interesting parts from the corporate history and plans how to arrange exhibits, photos, and vehicles that suit them. He said, "Since I am from a production technology engineering background, I naturally feel more attached when introducing the production technology section of the exhibition."

Circular spinning machine developed by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the Toyota Group. Photo by Suyeon Woo

Toyota Motor Corporation Group established this museum in 1994 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. Located in Nagoya City, the museum was built on the site of the textile machinery research and development factory that started the Toyota Group. It is a museum honoring the company's history at the birthplace of the group.

Upon entering the museum, a huge circular loom immediately caught the eye. This circular loom was a revolutionary new machine at the time that could weave wide fabric with minimal processes. It was invented by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the Toyota Group, in 1906, the world's first of its kind. The fact that the Toyota Group holds such a historic exhibit from over 120 years ago at the corporate level alone shows how much effort the group has put into this museum.

A representative from the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology is demonstrating by operating a textile machine developed over 130 years ago. Photo by Suyeon Woo

The museum's exhibitions are broadly divided into the Textile Machinery Hall and the Automobile Hall. The exhibition explaining the textile business, which was the foundation of the group, shows the early automatic loom developed 130 years ago, with staff demonstrating it in person. Toyota's efforts to manage, maintain, and repair the original and replica items for technical explanation were impressive.

The Automobile Hall highlights the achievements of Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder's son. Traces of Kiichiro's early automobile development efforts in the 1930s remain intact. Toyota Group even brought the floor, bricks, and roof of the steel material testing factory from that time to recreate it in the museum.

Exhibition view of the Toyota steel material testing center restored exactly as it was in the 1930s. Photo by Woo Su-yeon

An exhibition introducing the history of companies by era, incorporating cartoon elements. Photo by Woo Su-yeon

Descending to the first floor, more than 20 early and classic cars representing their eras were on display, including the 1936 Toyota AA passenger car and the 1955-produced Crown. The exhibition of print advertisements for representative vehicles by era and the corporate history introduction with cartoon elements felt fresh and engaging.

Toyota Group recreated the production line in a reduced scale, including casting, forging, welding, painting, and assembly, so visitors can see the vehicle production process at a glance. Additionally, visitors could compare the first factory where mass production began with the current factory.

Toyota old car exhibited at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Photo by Suyeon Woo

A child visitor at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology is experiencing a car simulation game. Photo by Su-yeon Woo

An exhibition explaining the vehicle production process at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Photo by Woo Su-yeon

In 2007, this museum was registered as a "Modern Industrial Heritage" certified by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This was because it is a place that educates about the value of Japan's industrial heritage and is recognized for its contribution to the local community. A Toyota official emphasized, "This place is a museum of learning that looks to the future from the history of manufacturing," and added, "We aim to contribute to social and economic development as a place to learn about the history of craftsmanship (Monozukuri) in product manufacturing."