Investigation Results of Model Certification Application: Chairman Toyoda's Take on the Press Conference
Toyota Motor Corporation Addresses Model Certification Issues
In response to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's (MLIT) instructions for an investigation into model certification, Toyota Motor Corporation held a press conference on June 3. Chairman Akio Toyoda took a proactive and hands-on approach, addressing the issues head-on and emphasizing the importance of transparency and cooperation.
Akio Toyoda, who has been the group leader of TPS Jishuken (Joint Kaizen Activities) since January 30, started a small-scale investigation into the certification issues for his own understanding. Details of the TPS Jishuken will be released on Toyota Times News soon.
During the press conference, Toyoda expressed his disappointment and shock at the findings. He questioned the workflow, information used, and standards for certification work. He made statements such as "(Eliminating wrongdoing) is impossible," "Et tu, Brutus?" and "In a way, I am personally grateful that these issues have emerged from Toyota."
Toyoda's main concern in the five days leading up to the press conference was "not fanning the flames of anxiety unnecessarily among customers." He emphasized the company’s ongoing efforts to reform its genba culture and improve communication between management and frontline employees as key to preventing recurrence of such certification problems.
The investigation is ongoing, with Toyota submitting a third quarterly progress report to MLIT outlining these efforts. Akio Toyoda also called in the quality manager to start the investigation and is personally visiting the genba to observe the processes step-by-step and clarify the problems causing the certification issues.
At the press conference, Toyoda also spoke for nearly 35 minutes on certification work, highlighting the company’s commitment to addressing the problem responsibly while continuing Toyota’s core values of quality and adaptability. He stressed that Toyota’s approach is to avoid speculation about uncertain futures and instead focus on concrete actions and collaboration to prepare for the evolving landscape.
The press conference was initially planned for May 30 or 31, but was delayed until June 3 to avoid causing unnecessary concern. Toyota Motor Corporation announced the investigation on the same day as the press conference. Chairman Toyoda received the initial report on the investigation results on May 29. The topic of the TPS Jishuken also came up during the press conference.
In summary, Akio Toyoda's thoughts and actions during the press conference were characterized by:
- Taking personal leadership by visiting the genba to directly investigate certification issues.
- Emphasizing efforts on strengthening manufacturing foundations, personnel, and internal culture reforms.
- Promoting transparency and cooperation with MLIT through progress reporting.
- Advocating a mindset of preparation rather than speculation in facing challenges.
This response reflected his commitment to resolving the certification problems responsibly while continuing Toyota’s core values of quality and adaptability.
The industry-related issues addressed at the press conference involved model certification, with Akio Toyoda, the chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, expressing concerns about the workflow, information used, and standards for certification work. In response, Toyota is actively collaborating with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and undertaking various finance-oriented initiatives to reform its practices and prevent recurrence of such issues.
