On February 26, 2022, Toyota supplier Kojima Industries suffered a cyberattack following unauthorized access to its systems. Given that even a single missing component prevents a car from being assembled, Toyota was forced to halt operations at all 14 of its Japanese plants.

Kojima employees worked hard to minimize the damage, seeking to avoid any disruption to production and deliveries. Thanks to these efforts, Toyota’s shutdown lasted only one day, with systems almost fully restored within a month.

One year on, President Eiji Kojima and his staff spoke about those initial recovery efforts, and the insights they can share now that the crisis has passed.

Looking back on the experience, President Kojima says that “working through the incident has brought the company closer together.” Cut off from the network system, staff reverted to analog tasks, learning the true nature of the job from more experienced colleagues. Let’s find out how a dish of curry helped foster a spirit of unity.

In the immediate aftermath of the cyberattack, regular system-based operations were completely transformed. Paper pinup boards were set up to organize parts delivery destinations and times, while boxes full of blueprints had to be sorted and distributed manually.

For younger workers, these tasks presented entirely new experiences, in which they were aided by veteran members. President Kojima reflects that they learned from older colleagues “how to convey what information to whom most efficiently, and made us realize the essence of our work.”

The attack was also felt in unexpected places. With the system for managing the staff cafeteria also down, the only meal that could be served was prepackaged curry. Despite this, the president and employees alike felt their sense of unity strengthened by “sharing meals from the same pot.” Check out the video to see smiling staff recall their gratitude for this lifeline, and President Kojima speaking about how much that single dish meant.

Four days after the cyberattack, President Akio Toyoda visited the Kojima Industries headquarters, saying, “Let us (Toyota and Kojima) work together to set things right.”

The roots of these deep ties can be traced back to the earliest days of both companies. They are also linked to Toyota’s history of “co-existence and co-prosperity” with its valued suppliers.

Finally, “Toyota Around the World” features the latest updates on Woven City, currently under construction in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture.

00:20　Behind the scenes of Kojima Industries’ recovery
03:06　A hands-on response
05:42　Partnering with Toyota
07:26　Building unity with curry
10:35　President Kojima looks back on the cyberattack
12:43　President Kojima: “Our employees are family”
17:02　History of ties between Toyota and Kojima Industries
25:41　[Toyota Around the World] The latest from Woven City