The novel Toyota no Ko was published to mark 130 years since Toyoda Kiichiro's birth. We talked to author Eri Yoshikawa about the stories behind writing the book.
“‘Let’s make ever-better cars’—so those were your words, grandfather. Twice, this book brought me to tears.”
Novelist Eri Yoshikawa’s new novel “Toyota no Ko” is going on sale.
The message at the top of my post is also my blurb for the book.
This fantastical story sees me traveling back in time as Akio, the mischievous boy, goes to meet Kiichiro, Toyota’s founder.
This is what Chairman Akio Toyoda wrote on his own Instagram account about the recently published novel, Toyota no Ko (published by Kodansha).
The author, Eri Yoshikawa, is known for her mystery novels. We spoke to her about the inside story behind writing this book.
Yoshikawa did not start out knowing much about Toyota and didn’t even know of Kiichiro Toyoda. She says, “I didn’t think I could write it, so I asked them to put the writing request on hold.”
However, after reading Kiichiro’s biography, his persistence in the face of many challenges moved her to get a sense of his way of thinking.
What sort of ideas did she get from places with connections to Kiichiro, like the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, the former Toyoda Boshoku Headquarters (Toyota Group Building), and Kiichiro Toyoda’s former residence?
It is an economic novel while also being a biography, and at the same time a time travel fantasy story. This week’s video is full of stories about the making of the novel, episodes about Chairman Akio, the memorable scene connected to the novel’s title, and other talk that can only be found here.
Chairman Akio once said Kiichiro was “the one person whose praise I sought.” His Instagram post continues, saying:
In his lifetime, he always struggled and passed away at the age of just 57 without reaping the fruits of his work. I never had the chance to meet him, and always wanted to meet him in my dreams.
If I could meet him, what would I say? And what would he say to me?
If I’m being honest, all I need is one word, but I want his praise. That’s all I’ve ever thought about.
No matter how I dreamed, I could never meet my grandfather, but I finally met him in this novel. Ms. Yoshikawa, I truly thank you.
As of June 26, the book is only available in Japanese.