In April, Toyota South Africa’s plant was inundated by the floods that struck the region, causing unprecedented damage. Despite this, staff on the ground, working under the slogan “Better than before,” managed to restore the facility within just three months. The secret to this astonishingly speedy recovery lay in following Toyota’s “normal initial response” to a crisis.

In September, Toyota announced the end of its production in Russia. Akio says the move was a “really painful decision.” He also explained the thinking behind the decision, including why this was the right time, and the actions he took to protect local people.

Becoming a Toyota employee in April gave Yuta Tomikawa a new perspective and new experiences, while also raising new questions. He used this chance to put them to Akio directly.

For his part, Akio addressed each question head-on, in his own words. Rather than read about it, make sure to check out their actual conversation in the video.

02:22 What is Toyota Times News?
05:52 Recap of carbon-neutral initiatives
09:01 Does the media thrive on conflict?
12:03 Asia’s carbon-neutral journey gets underway in Thailand (clip)
17:40 Fukushima looks to a hydrogen future after the nuclear accident (clip)
34:30 Partnering with Hino following the company’s misconduct
40:18 Message to North American employees on the other side of the pandemic
45:15 The “interesting” choice that led to the new Prius
46:40 “Getting carried away” with four new types of Crown
58:36 The key to swift flood recovery
01:02:47 The painful decision to end production in Russia