Eiji Toyoda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eiji Toyoda
豊田 英二 |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 12 September 1913 |
| Died | 17 September 2013 (aged 100) Toyota, Aichi, Japan
|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Education | Tokyo Imperial University |
| Occupation | President (1967–1981) and Chairman (1981–1994) Toyota Motor Corporation |
Eiji Toyoda (born September 12, 1913 – died September 17, 2013) was a Japanese businessman. He played a huge part in making Toyota Motor Corporation a very successful company around the world. He was the president and later the chairman of Toyota.
Contents
Building Toyota's Success
Early Life and Education
Eiji Toyoda studied mechanical engineering at Tokyo Imperial University. He was there from 1933 to 1936. During this time, his cousin, Kiichiro Toyoda, started an automobile factory. It was part of the Toyoda Loom Works in Nagoya, Japan.
Joining the Family Business
After finishing his degree, Eiji joined his cousin at the factory. They were very close friends throughout their lives. In 1938, Kiichiro asked Eiji to help build a new factory. This factory was about 32 kilometers east of Nagoya. The town where it was built was later renamed Toyota City. This factory, called Honsha, is still the main factory for Toyota today.
Learning from Ford
In the early 1950s, Toyoda visited the Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. He was amazed by how big it was. But he also thought it was not very efficient. At that time, Toyota had only made about 2,500 cars in 13 years. The Ford factory, however, made 8,000 cars every single day! This visit helped Toyoda decide to use American mass production ideas. But he wanted to make them even better for quality.
Developing the Toyota Way
Toyoda worked with Taiichi Ohno, who was an expert in loom machines. Together, they created important ideas that became known as the 'Toyota Way'.
Kanban System
One idea was the Kanban system. This system used labels for parts on the assembly lines. It was an early version of what we now call bar codes. It helped keep track of parts easily.
Kaizen Philosophy
They also improved the idea of Kaizen. Kaizen means making small, constant improvements. These improvements helped to lower costs and increase the quality of cars.
Breaking into the US Market
As a managing director, Toyoda first tried to sell the Toyota Crown car in the U.S. in the 1950s. It didn't do well because it wasn't powerful enough.
The Toyota Corolla's Success
But in 1968, he succeeded with the Toyota Corolla. This was a compact car that became very popular. Eiji Toyoda became president of Toyota the year after the Corolla was launched. He had to convince others to put a new 1.0-liter engine, air conditioning, and automatic transmissions in the Corolla.
Leading Toyota as President and Chairman
Eiji Toyoda became the fifth president of Toyota Motor. He was the longest-serving chief executive the company has ever had. In 1981, he stepped down as president. He then became the chairman of the company. Shoichiro Toyoda took over as president.
Creating Lexus
In 1983, as chairman, Eiji Toyoda decided to enter the luxury car market. This led to the creation of Lexus in 1989. Lexus became a very successful luxury car brand. Toyoda retired as chairman of Toyota in 1994. He was 81 years old.
Later Years and Legacy
In his later years, Eiji Toyoda had hip problems. He needed a wheelchair for some time. But he always stayed friendly and enjoyed solving sudoku puzzles. He spent his last years getting treatment at the Toyota Memorial Hospital in Toyota City, Japan. This hospital is close to the company's main office.
His Passing
Eiji Toyoda passed away on September 17, 2013, from heart failure. He died just five days after his 100th birthday.
Tributes to a Visionary
Many people praised Toyoda after his death. David Cole, a former chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, called him "a real visionary and inspirational leader." Leslie Kendall, a curator at the Petersen Automotive Museum, said Toyoda was like the Japanese Henry Ford.
Honors and Awards
Eiji Toyoda received many awards for his work.
Awards from Japan
- April 1971 – Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon
- November 1983 – Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
- November 1990 – Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
International Awards
- March 1985 – Commander of the Order of Prince Henry of Portugal
- December 1990 – Knight Commander of the Order of the White Elephant of Thailand
- April 1991 – Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium
- April 1992 – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand
- September 1993 – Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
- 1994 – Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, USA
- May 2001 – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Direkgunabhorn of Thailand
Family Connections
Eiji Toyoda was born into a family that made textiles. His father, Heikichi Toyoda, was the brother of Sakichi Toyoda. Sakichi Toyoda founded the Toyoda Loom Works. The family of Sakichi Toyoda has been in charge of Toyota Motors for a long time. Eiji Toyoda had three sons with his wife, Kazuko Toyoda (who died in 2002). Their sons were Kanshiro, Tetsuro, and Shuhei.
See also
- Kiichiro Toyoda
- Sakichi Toyoda
- Shoichiro Toyoda
- Taiichi Ohno
