Tomikawa

Since the press conference content is now out, I'd like to ask about some of your impactful statements.

With wrongdoing cases occurring among Group companies, people may have felt, to borrow your words, "Et tu, Brutus?" when it happened at Toyota as well.

You accepted this and said it at the press conference, but what did you mean when you said, "Et tu, Brutus?"

Akio

Honestly, it was disappointing. Since the public hearing, we have tried to follow the rules and work together on compliance, but there are still problems.

I probably shouldn't say it, but they will always exist. Perfection is impossible. So many people are involved. Anything done with malintent must be eliminated.

But that doesn't hold for things where that is not the case, where there are no strict formulaic rules.

So, the work is done in an individual, arbitrary way. But we have to meet deadlines. The person in charge must be most concerned about the deadline.

That is why these things happen. This is always likely, so we need systems to identify issues immediately. Right now, we are establishing the material and information diagram for certification testing, and if you ask whether we could detect it, the answer is no.

We are now reestablishing processes and preparing ways to manage abnormalities.

We are using the TPS method. People who don't know it hear TPS Jishuken and think TPS is some kind of scale that lets you solve anything.

For me, TPS is rather a philosophy, a way of thinking, and a way of looking at things, so I don't want people to misunderstand it.

Tomikawa

Hearing your explanation, I think I realize why you said, "I am personally grateful that these issues have emerged from Toyota." You mean that there is still room for improvement.

Akio

Yes, and another reason is that I don't want to blame anyone during a press conference like this. I said I’m the one accountable. If I don't choose my words carefully, it may sound like I am blaming the authorities.

But it is thanks to the authorities that we are now aware of the issue. I said I'm the one accountable. Another thing is that Toyota is a company that continually fails. We are not a perfect company.

Mistakes will happen. And when they do, I am the one accountable. That is why I have no intention of blaming others or making some strange justification during a press conference like this, and instead just try to get back to a state of normalcy.

That is why I phrased it that way.

Tomikawa

You're at the top of the company, an employee at an automobile company, and a car lover and driver, so your comments reflect many different aspects of Akio Toyoda.

Akio

I play many roles, and so I play them simultaneously. I used to have the different personas of Morizo, Akio Toyoda, and the president of Toyota.

But now they're all mixed together. Sometimes, one persona appears, and at different times, another. I think that's necessary.

Tomikawa

I think it has made you relatable to many, if I may say so.