Tokyo Auto Salon, an annual festival for car lovers, returned again this year. Yet amid the fun and excitement, something strange was in the air around the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing booth...
Tokyo Auto Salon, one of the world’s largest custom car events, was held on January 9 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.
Parts manufacturers, carmakers, and individual enthusiasts once again this year filled the venue with an array of eye-catching booths, seeking to put smiles on the faces of car lovers from around the world.
In the lead-up, we were also looking forward to some exciting exhibits from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR). Then, two days before the event, an ominous post appeared on the official social media account announcing… A corporate feud?!
…Certainly looks like they had some fun with that. Reactions from those who saw the post were excited: “They really went all out!”, “Something big is in the works (lol)”, “Do it! Do it!”
As the wry old saying about Japan’s capital goes, “fires and fistfights are the flowers of Edo.” Cars and fire are not a good mix, but the other kind of “flower” may prove to be a hit. At this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, the TGR booth brought the heat by staging some showdowns!
A recap of Morizo’s Top 10 News Stories
“Happy New Year everyone!”
Taking the press conference stage alongside the MC, Yuta Tomikawa, was Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka Morizo. After regrettably missing last year’s event due to illness, he was there in fine spirits to deliver his New Year’s greetings for 2026.
To begin, the pair checked in with Morizo’s Top 10 News Stories from last time to see how his hopes for 2025 had panned out.
Number nine, achieving the triple crown in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), came true. At season’s end, Hyundai ran a newspaper ad congratulating Toyota after Morizo had done the same for Hyundai the year before. The two great rivals continue to spur each other on.
Morizo
With Hyundai, Ford, and Toyota battling it out openly like this in the top category, we placed the 2024 newspaper ad to say, “Whoever wins, we want to celebrate their victory.”
The fourth-place story—GR Yaris Finishes Nürburgring 24 Hours! Morizo Bursts into Tears!—also came to pass, although without any tears from Morizo. He did, however, drive six more laps than originally planned. His comment, “The GR Yaris is a really great car,” was even used in commercials.
As for Morizo’s top story, Midship Takes Off, this was accomplished on October 25 in Round 6 of Super Taikyu at Okayama International Circuit.
Speaking of midships, this was also the subject of another interesting exchange on TGR’s social media.
As it turns out, three different people were keen to take on Morizo. We showcase these challenges on the next page.