KAKEZAN 2026 showcased diverse technologies ranging from tech by Woven by Toyota to Akio Toyoda AI. Toyota Times visited the venue, energized by the addition of new Inventors.
KAKEZAN 2026 is an event held by Woven by Toyota (WbyT) and Toyota to showcase technology and foster new business opportunities.
The venue, Woven City's Inventor Garage, featured exhibits from Inventor companies as well as a special area showcasing technology from WbyT. Here, the latest innovations that connect mobility, people, and infrastructure to eliminate traffic accidents were on display.
One exhibit that drew crowds in the Inventor area was the Akio Toyoda AI, which many viewers will recognize from the Voice-Only Toyota Times News episode “Which One Is Akio Toyoda: The Real One or the AI? We Asked Both the Same Questions.”
The event also featured a pitch competition among startups to select new Inventors. City residents serve as judges, meaning Yuta Tomikawa cast his vote as well. Who were the winners?
When Inventors from different fields and cultures come together, new ideas and values emerge and multiply. That's Kakezan, the philosophy at the heart of this city, reflected throughout the event in the exchanges between exhibitors and visitors.
This was the first event in Woven City, which itself has only just launched. When Tomikawa asked Daisuke Toyoda, Senior Vice President (SVP) of WbyT, if he thought things were off to a great start, he had this to say:
SVP Toyoda
I hope a year from now we'll look back and call this (KAKEZAN 2026) a great start.
Right now we're giving it everything we've got, and I hope we can keep building on the kinds of actions that will make us say, “I'm glad we did that.”