As 2,317 employees took their first step at Toyota, newly appointed President Kenta Kon opened with a message rooted in the company's origin: working for others.
On April 1, 2026, under a canopy of cherry blossoms in full bloom, Toyota Motor Corporation held its entrance ceremony at its headquarters in Toyota City, Aichi. 2,317 new employees gathered in the hall.
On stage stood the Century, first unveiled at last year’s Japan Mobility Show, alongside the GR GT3 (prototype), a sports car that made its world premiere in December.
Nearby was a reconstructed Toyoda Wooden Hand Loom, invented in 1890 by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the Toyota Group.
It was the first time since 2019—when a red Supra took the stage and its engine roared—that cars had been lined up for the ceremony.
Addressing the new employees was Kenta Kon, who assumed the role of Toyota Motor Corporation’s 13th president that day. He spoke about a guiding principle at the very heart of Toyota.
“For someone other than yourself”—at the heart of Toyota
President Kon
Good morning, I’m Kon. First of all, congratulations to all of you on joining the company.
Today, 2,317 new employees have gathered here. Each of you brings your own unique personality and strengths. Having you join us as the people who will carry Toyota into the future gives me great confidence—and a strong sense of reassurance.
The year 2026 marks a major milestone for Toyota. It is 100 years since the founding of Toyota Industries, the origin of our company. Over this long history, our predecessors have overcome many challenges, taken on new ones, and built the Toyota we know today.
What has been the foundation supporting that journey? I believe it is the spirit of working for someone other than yourself.
What drove Sakichi Toyoda, the inventor of the automatic loom? It was his desire to ease the burden on his mother, who worked late into the night at the loom. That was his heartfelt motivation—his desire to help her.
That spirit of working for someone other than yourself has not changed over the past 100 years. It is the most important value that Toyota must continue to carry forward.
At the same time, inheriting does not mean simply preserving.
While we cherish the values we have received, we must also adapt them to the times and evolve them into something better.
The founding challenge and Century’s “next hundred years”
President Kon
Carrying forward Sakichi’s spirit, and with the aim of contributing to Japan’s future, it was Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation, who took on the challenge of the automobile industry.
He said, “It is not just about making automobiles. With Japanese ideas and skills, we must create an automobile industry for Japan.”
This is the origin of Toyota Motor Corporation. It was a time when we had neither capital nor technology, and when people said that automobiles could not be made in Japan.
Today, you see a Century displayed on stage.
The Century traces its roots to Toyota’s early years, when iconic models such as the Crown and Corona were developed. It was born from a bold challenge taken on by Toyota’s first chief engineer, Kenya Nakamura, and a young Shoichiro Toyoda, Honorary Chairman—to create a luxury car uniquely suited to Japan.
And it is also a car that Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda continued to drive as his personal car throughout his life.
Last year, at the Japan Mobility Show, Chairman Akio Toyoda announced that “Century” would be launched as a new brand.
He then introduced a video from the Japan Mobility Show, in which Chairman Akio Toyoda spoke about what the Century means to him.
Chairman Akio Toyoda (Toyota Group Press Briefing, Japan Mobility Show 2025)
“The name ‘Century’ is said to derive from the 100th year of the Meiji era, as well as the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, founder of the Toyota Group. But to me, it represents a commitment to creating the next hundred years.
And then there is the phoenix emblem engraved on the Century. In Japanese mythology, the phoenix is a legendary bird that appears only in times of peace.
The Century is more than just the name of a car. It embodies a heartfelt wish for world peace, and a challenge to shape the next hundred years from Japan. That is what the Century means to me.
After Shoichiro passed, I came to see this as my own mission.”