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| The line up of Toyota's first of each model |
I have always been fascinated by how cars are designed and
engineered. How the parts are assembled; how the entire mechanism works; how
fuel is burnt and converted to power – all these arouse my curiosity. Indeed,
automobiles are a product of technical ingenuity. Yet, in a way, it is also a
functional piece of art that has brought great convenience to our daily lives.
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| The life-size sculpture of the two founders of Toyota, Sakichi with his looming machine and his son, Kichiro with his bicycle. |
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| The facade of the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya. |
During my trip in Nagoya, Japan, one particular part of the
itinerary really moved me, and that is due to the vast knowledge I gained
through it. It was my visit to the Toyota
Techno Museum located in Noritakeshinmachi, Nishi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture of Japan. When I
learned that the trip would include this amazing place, I expected to see an
exposition of various car models. After all, Toyota is one of the biggest international
players in the automobile industry.
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| One of the advanced looming machine inventions of Toyota |
So,
let's take a look at how this multinational car company began.
Among
the different parts of my Nagoya tour, the viewing of the Toyota Commemorative
Museum of Industry and Technology, also known as Toyota Techno Museum, is one
of my favorites. As I learned about the humble beginnings of Toyota Motor
Corporation, I realized that success truly requires a lot of mastery,
creativity, and patience.
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| This is the most advanced looming machine displayed at the museum. It copies exactly the image/pattern ran through to their machine reader. |
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| The first Mirai model. |
Our
tour guide, Akiko or Ako-san, related to us the story. In 1926, Sakichi Toyoda,
ran a company called Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. It produced manual and
machine-operated looms. Mr. Toyoda put lots of trial and error in developing
his products. He never stopped trying until he achieved impressive results.
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| AA. The very first Toyota passenger car. |
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| The wooden prototype of AA. |
Mr.
Toyoda had a son named Kichiro who became the successor of his business. His
son traveled the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) in
1929 to sell the patent of one of their inventions to the Platt Brothers, a
textile company in the UK. During that visit, his attention was caught by the
automobiles running on the streets. It was then when the young Toyoda aspired
to begin a new line of business.
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| How the spare parts are being assembled. |
His
father told Kichiro, “try first and do not be afraid of failure.” So he did.
But due to opposition from the stockholders, it took him 4 years to organize
the automobile subsidiary of the company. He built factories in Koroma City
which is known today as Toyota City of Aichi Prefecture. The passion of the
young Toyoda brought forth the shift from a textile company to an automobile
enterprise in 1933. Today, Toyota Motor Corporation is the world's largest
automobile manufacturer.
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| The first Lexus model |
The
museum houses the preserved former factory and the company’s industrial
heritage, starting from the birth of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. up to
the current Toyota Motor Corporation. It displays the different kinds of
textile looming machine, from manual to electronically-operated. The same
museum is home to their very first passenger car called AA. It also features
different car models and their prototypes as well as their collection of robot
inventions.
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| The robot collections of Toyota at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industrial and Technology |
Speaking
of robots, the last segment of the guided tour, which I found enthralling, was
a serenade by the humanoid robot playing the violin.
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| Prototype souvenir collection at the shop inside the museum. |
I recommend
this educational tour to students, teachers, and anyone who has interest in
science and technology, most especially, automobiles. :)
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| Japanese students in their educational field trip. |
Special
thanks to the Tourism Bureau of Aichi Prefecture Government and Rakso Travel, for this illuminating trip.
Stay
tuned for the fourth part of Travel & Discover Art in the City series.
* * *
Travel
& Discover Art in the City Part 2: Home Hotel Daan, Taipei Taiwan
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