Tomikawa

Hello to all our Toyota Times listeners. I’m Yuta Tomikawa.

For the fourth episode of the , I am once again joined by Chairman Akio Toyoda. Thank you for being here.

Toyoda

Thanks for having me. We're up to our fourth episode so far already!

Tomikawa

Ideally, we would do this once a month.

Toyoda

You mean we haven’t been?

Tomikawa

We’re slightly off schedule.

Toyoda

Well, I am busy (laughs).

Tomikawa

I’m sorry (laughs). It’s been about a month and a half since last time. Thank you for making the time today.

Let’s start by talking about the novel Sons of Toyota, which was released in June on the 130th anniversary of Kiichiro Toyoda's birth.

We’ve heard from the publisher Kodansha that it is selling well, which is great. At online bookstores, it sold out almost immediately after release.

Orders continue to stream in from bookstores, and total sales have topped 10,000 copies. The novel is now in its third print run.

I’m told that reaching a third print run within a month of release is extremely rare. That shows just how many people are interested in the book, but what are your honest thoughts?

Toyoda

I see myself as Kiichiro Toyoda’s promoter.

For decades, there have been very few records of the struggles that Toyota’s founding members went through to get today’s Toyota Motor Corporation off the ground.

One of those stories that I wanted to tell was that of Kiichiro Toyoda, one of the sons of Toyota. So, I’m incredibly pleased.

Tomikawa

Although we have a biography of Kiichiro (Toyoda), the novel is in an entirely different format.

Toyoda

Biographies are read by those who are already interested. But a novel allows readers who have no interest at all to learn about Kiichiro as a person and how Toyota came to be.

As a B-to-C business, at Toyota, we appreciate having the novel as a way to spark interest in what we do.

Tomikawa

In the various photos I’ve seen, Kiichiro rarely smiles, so I imagined him as a rather stern individual, but it was fascinating to see his personality come through in the novel.

Toyoda

That’s true. I never met him either, myself.

Tomikawa

In the book, the character Akio develops a friendship with Kiichiro, whom you never met. I wondered how you felt reading that.

Toyoda

There’s even a bit of gender-swapping, it’s very interesting. It would probably be interesting even with a fictional character, but the book uses my real name (laughs).

While it is a novel, real events also appear throughout, which makes it all the more fascinating.

Tomikawa

Speaking of the female character Catherine, I can really imagine you in her (laughs).

Toyoda

Yes! (laughs). That’s the kind of thing you can do with a novel, rather than a film. In a movie you would just see a woman’s face, but the novel talks about “Catherine Akio.”

The reader can envision all kinds of images for themselves. This book made me rediscover the beauty of novels.

Tomikawa

She falls in love with Kiichiro, doesn’t she (laughs).

Toyoda

(Laughs) I have said that Kiichiro is the one person whose praise I sought.

Tomikawa

Interesting. I think I see you blushing (laughs). For those who haven’t read the book, you can look forward to all that and more.

The dust jacket includes the following words from you:

“‘Let’s make ever-better cars’—so those were your words, grandfather. Twice, this book brought me to tears.”

Many people ask me about that comment. They want to know, “Which parts brought Akio to tears?”

I think it’s better not to ask you here. People can enjoy guessing for themselves as they reread the book, since there are quite a few points that make you well up.

Toyoda

There are.

Tomikawa

In fact, a couple of parts brought me to tears as well, but when I asked you, it turned out they were different from yours.

It is both entertaining and moving. The book really showcases how inspiring Ms. Yoshikawa’s writing really is.

Toyoda

She didn’t interview me much, either.

Tomikawa

Is that right?

Toyoda

It’s not like we met over and over again. When we did meet, I figured she would ask many questions, but surprisingly she didn’t, so she must have done a lot of research on her own.

Tomikawa

I caught up with her at various locations, and she has visited many Toyota sites that weren’t even related to the book, combining historical facts with her own impressions.

The fictional parts of the story feel like they really happened and weren’t made up.

Your own upbringing and life at the company also come up in the story, but what percentage of that is true?

Toyoda

I read the book two or three times before it came out, and after it was completed, I read about halfway through again.

It’s hard to give you a percentage, but the description of me being “untouchable” upon joining Toyota, and people deciding to keep their distance, that was very real.

Tomikawa

There are several scenes where the character meditates under a waterfall, and that becomes a key point towards the end, but did you actually do that?

Toyoda

I’ve been doing it for about seven years.

Tomikawa

You’ve continued to do it?

Toyoda

Seven years in a row.

Tomikawa

How big is the waterfall?

Toyoda

There are two waterfalls at Mount Ontake in Kiso. That’s where I went. The coldest time was in late January. Looking up at the 40-meter waterfall, you could see snow falling.

Tomikawa

Must be close to freezing.

Toyoda

But the water temperature doesn’t change much.

Tomikawa

Still, it’s cold outside.

Toyoda

Even in the summer, the water is icy if you go under. Once you’re in, it doesn’t matter if it's winter or summer.

Tomikawa

So, it might actually feel warm in winter… though I’m not sure I believe you.

Toyoda

I went following someone’s recommendation, and it drove home just how insignificant human beings are in nature.

It was the waterfall meditation that taught me not to just chase my own dreams, and to give my all for others.

When you stand under that falling water, your body fights it. That’s because of the tension in your body.

As the water runs down over you, your body comes to feel like a sponge. That’s when the tension is lifted.

Tomikawa

You feel like you become one with your surroundings.

Toyoda

The first year or two, I did nothing but fight the water. It was painful, cold, and I thought, “Why am I doing this...?”

Then one time, we decided I would go in the middle of the night. Simply walking to the waterfall was hard.

Tomikawa

Surrounded by darkness.

Toyoda

It was completely pitch black, and I was alone. But when I entered the waterfall, I felt that “sponge state” for the first time.

Tomikawa

I’m really glad I asked. You’ve made many big decisions, and maybe that comes from what you’ve learned through waterfall meditation.

Toyoda

I learned not to oppose nature.

Like now, amid the talk of carbon neutrality, it is ridiculous to think that human beings can forcefully change the principles of the natural world.

I think it taught me that nature is what sustains us, that nature’s gifts allow us to lead our abundant lives.

Tomikawa

Is it something others could do if they wanted to?

Toyoda

They could, though I don’t really recommend it. But if you’re interested, I think you should give it a go.

Tomikawa

I would like to try it.

Toyoda

Your body temperature drops suddenly, so there can be risks involved, such as hyperventilation or a lack of oxygen.

If you go in thinking it will be like a waterfall shower, you will get hurt. I think you need to be mentally prepared that nature may not welcome you with open arms.

Tomikawa

Sorry to change the subject from that wonderful discussion, but I would like to share an interesting comment from my conversation with Ms. Yoshikawa.

She has become a full-blown Kiichiro fan.

Toyoda

Yes, I saw that (laughs). She might be an even bigger fan than I am.

Tomikawa

Her phone background is a photo of Kiichiro, in color. As his grandchild, how do you feel about that? (laughs)

Toyoda

I’m glad he has a new fan. As one of his promoters, I couldn't be more grateful.

Tomikawa

Have you ever seen anyone else with his colorized photo?

Toyoda

Probably not (laughs).

Tomikawa

She seemed interested in writing more about Kiichiro.

Toyoda

I hope she’s working on some sequels.