トヨタ自動車工業(株)『トヨタのあゆみ : トヨタ自動車工業株式会社創立40周年記念』(1978.03)

Toyoda Sakichi (1867-1930) from Shizuoka attended the Third Domestic Industrial Exhibition in 1890 in Tokyo, where he learned about power machinery. This knowledge enabled him to invent the first Japanese power loom. He established Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Ltd. in Aichi Prefecture in 1926, but his son Toyoda Kiichiro (1894-1952) turned to research on automobiles. Kiichiro studied the newest industrial technologies with the goal of manufacturing a domestic car for the masses. In 1937 he gained his independence with the establishment of Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. The new company had a factory layout based on assembly-line production without stockpiles and was committed to efficiency and quality control. In 1950 the sales division separated to form Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. The set of shashi published to mark the 40th anniversary of the company’s establishment (including Watashi to kuruma and Wa, waza, wadachi) explores the theme of “the role of cars in civilization.”