The Story of Sakichi Toyoda
A Strong Ambition to Contribute to Society
Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries Corporation, was
born in 1867 in Yamaguchi-mura, Fuchi-no-kori, Totomi-no-kuni
(presently Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture). He was the first son of
Ikichi and Ei Toyoda. Ikichi was a farmer who also worked as a
carpenter to support his family. He was a highly skilled carpenter that
many relied on.
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Sakichi graduated from elementary school and began working as an
assistant for his father in carpentry trade.
Sakichi's birth and early upbringing coincided with that period in
Japanese history when the shogunate was replaced by a new
government under the Meiji Emperor. This period is generally
regarded as the beginning of modern Japan. In the middle of social
upheavals, the entire village where Sakichi lived was plagued with
poverty.
From the age of 14 or 15, Sakichi began to think about ways in which
he could both be useful to the people around him and serve his
country.
On days when there was no carpentry, Sakichi would assiduously
read newspapers and magazines. He brought the local youth
together in an evening study group that promoted self-learning.
However, he was unable to come up with ways to contribute to
society.
Rebuilt birthplace of Sakichi Toyoda
Sakichi turned 18 in 1885. He learned of the newly enacted Patent
Monopoly Act. This he studied carefully and quickly became
convinced that he had found his way forward.
Then and there, he decided to tap into his own wisdom and devote
his utmost efforts toward invention as a means of creating something
new.
"Western civilization is based upon machinery. Machines are driven
by steam. Steam-powered machinery requires coal which is
expensive. Some method must be contrived to replace steam as the
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motive force." So thought Sakichi.
Using trial and error methods, Sakichi experimented with various
permanent and unlimited energy sources. He was not successful.
In this fashion, Sakichi continued to meditate. At some point, he
became interested in the hand loom used by local farm families.
Sakichi thought that if he could find a way to improve the efficiency
of the hand loom, it would benefit many people.
Sakichi set to work. Working in a barn, he built and destroyed a
number of looms. Some people began to think of him as being
strange. Immersed in his efforts, this did not bother him at all.
In 1890, Sakichi traveled to Ueno in Tokyo to visit the Third National
Machinery Exposition. Many new machines of both Japanese and
overseas manufacture were on display. Sakichi was deeply
impressed. So much that he spent every day for the next month
visiting the exposition, determined to understand how each of the
machines worked.
In the autumn of the same year, Sakichi's first successful invention
was accomplished. It was known as the Toyoda wooden hand loom.
Sakichi received his first patent for that loom in 1891. He was 24
years old.
Toyoda Wooden Hand Loom
LETTERS PATENT AND PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
Unlike previous looms, the Toyoda wooden hand loom required only
one hand to operate instead of two. It removed the unevenness of
the woven fabric thus improving quality. It increased efficiency by 40
to 50 percent.
However, the loom was still manually powered. This limited further
improvements in speed and overall efficiency. So Sakichi turned his
attention to the invention of a power loom.
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In 1892, Sakichi started a small factory in Tokyo's Taito Ward that
used several of the Toyoda wooden hand looms invented by Sakichi.
He did this for several reasons. He wanted financial independence to
better pursue his inventing career. He needed funds to support his
efforts. He also thought that he would able to confidently
recommend his invention to customers by using it himself to confirm
its superior performance.
Fabrics manufactured by Sakichi's factory were distributed to
wholesalers and enjoyed a good reputation. Sakichi managed the
operation while continuing his inventing efforts. Unfortunately the
factory did not do well and had to be shut down after a year of
operation. Sakichi returned to his hometown.
Soon afterwards, he went to visit an uncle living in the city of
Toyohashi in Aichi Prefecture. He decided to live in his uncle's house
and continue his efforts toward developing a power loom.
To provide funds for his efforts, Sakichi invented the highly efficient
Toyoda winding machine in 1894. This was an epoch-making
development.
TOYODA WINDING MACHINE AND TOYODA POWER LOOM
To promote the manufacture and sale of his new machine, Sakichi
soon established Ito Shoten Co., agent for Toyoda, in Nagoya. This
later became Toyoda Shoten Co. and then Toyoda Shokai Co.
Once sales of the winding machine were on track, Sakichi turned his
undivided attention to inventing a power loom. It did not take him
long. In 1896, the Toyoda power loom, Japan's first power loom built
of steel and wood was perfected. The shedding, picking and beat-up
motions were all steam-powered. It was also equipped with the weft
auto stop mechanism. The machine was relatively inexpensive and
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greatly increased productivity and quality.
One of the first to recognize the outstanding performance of the new
loom was a customer of Toyoda Shoten Co. named Tohachi Ishikawa.
He proposed opening a weaving business. He and Sakichi were soon
partners. They founded Okkawa Mempu Co. in Aichi Prefecture's city
of Handa. The high-quality cotton cloth woven by the new loom
earned a reputation for excellence.
Sakichi used not only the steam engine but also an oil motor as a
power source for his looms.
The loom soon came to the attention of Mitsui Bussan (currently
Mitsui & Co., Ltd.). In 1899, they proposed setting up a loom
manufacturing company. Igeta Shokai Co. was established, with
Sakichi overseeing the production of power looms as chief engineer
and fully devoting his efforts to further invention. However, economic
conditions were bad and the company fell on hard times, making
further development more and more difficult. Sakichi ultimately left
the company and opened the independently managed Toyoda
Shokai Co., where he dedicated himself to invention and research.
Sakichi continued his efforts to improve his machines. Looms used a
bobbin to hold the weft. When the weft ran out, the power loom had
to be stopped in order to replenish it. It was clear that this downtime
greatly decreased operational efficiency. Sakichi became focused on
the task of inventing a device that could automatically replace the
shuttle when the weft ran out.
An unwavering conviction — Commercial
trials
In 1903, Sakichi invented the first automatic shuttle-changing
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mechanism that automatically replenished the weft yarn without
stopping machine operation, producing the world's first shuttle-
change automatic loom, Type T, equipped with this mechanism.
Kanegafuchi Boseki Co. attached this shuttle-changing mechanism
to its wide looms and undertook performance testing. The test
results, however, were not so favorable, because Sakichi had
entrusted the building and pre-testing to others.
Reflecting on this experience, he developed an unwavering
conviction that a product should never be sold unless it has been
carefully manufactured and fully tested in the commercial trial, with
completely satisfactory results.
As it will be mentioned afterwards, Sakichi later traveled to the
United States and Europe on a observation trip. He visited Dr. Jokichi
Takamine at his home in New York. Dr. Takamine was world-
renowned for having been the first person to successfully extract
Taka-Diastase and adrenaline. Dr. Takamine explained that an
inventor should never put his or her invention in the hands of others
until it was developed as a practical product with useful social results
and that this was the responsibility of an inventor. Sakichi was
inspired and took this advice to heart.
TOYODA AUTOMATIC IRON LOOM, TYPE T
In 1905, Sakichi invented the Toyota power loom, 1905 type,
equipped with the improved warp let-off mechanism. The loom also
had a sturdy structure, built of wood and steel. This was followed in
1906 by an improved version called the Toyota power loom, 1906
type. The 1906 type greatly improved efficiency and fabric quality.
In 1906, Sakichi also realized what he considered to be the other
ultimate goal besides the invention of the automatic loom —
inventing an energy-efficient circular loom that wove cloth through
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an optimal circular motion. Up until this time, looms used a horizontal
reciprocal motion to move the shuttle carrying weft and weave. By
contrast, the circular loom used a circular motion to move the shuttle
and the weft insertion and beating were done quietly and
uninterruptedly. This had never been done before.
Overcoming setbacks
In 1907, on the recommendation of Mitsui Bussan, Toyoda’s Loom
Works, Ltd. (presently Howa Machinery, Ltd.) was established with
funds provided by investors in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. This newly
established company took over control of the plant and employees
of Toyoda Shokai Co. Sakichi assumed the duties of managing
director and chief engineer and continued to devote his efforts to
invention and research.
Nonetheless, because the new company did not allow commercial
trials for which Sakichi held such a strong conviction, he set up his
own individually operated commercial trial plant (later Toyoda
Shokufu Kikui Kojo) in 1909. Toyoda's Loom Works, Ltd. was
eventually beset by poor business results, causing Sakichi grave
concern as he was the chief engineer handling invention and
research and a director who could not neglect management of the
company. In 1910, Sakichi resigned from Toyoda's Loom Works, Ltd.
and set out on an observation trip to the United States and Europe to
make a fresh start.
Sakichi went to the West Coast of the United States from where he
crossed the country. He visited many weaving factories in the Upper
East Coast region. While amazed at the scale of these operations
and their experimental facilities, he saw many weaknesses in the
looms operated there and was not very impressed.
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Sakichi then traveled to England where he visited loom
manufacturers and weaving mills in the Manchester area. This
observation trip instilled him with confidence in the superiority of his
original loom. He made his way back to Japan refreshed.
A Strong Commitment to Invention
After returning to Japan from his observation trip to the United
States and Europe, Sakichi labored to raise capital and in 1911 he
established the independently operated Toyoda Jido Shokufu Kojo
(Toyoda Automatic Weaving Mill) as a proving ground for his
inventions in the Noritake-Shinmachi area of Nishi-ward, Nagoya.
This is now the site of the Toyota Commemorative Museum of
Industry and Technology.
In 1914, Sakichi introduced new spinning facilities at the mill based
on his realization that high-quality spinning yarn was essential for the
successful development of his automatic loom. At this time, its name
was revised to Toyoda Jido Boshoku Kojo (Toyoda Automatic
Spinning and Weaving Mill) because the mill also started spinning
operations. Benefiting from buoyant economic conditions during
World War I, the spinning and weaving business continued
expanding year after year. With the aim of carrying out smooth
business operations under these favorable circumstances, in 1918
Toyoda Boshoku (Toyoda Spinning and Weaving Co., Ltd.) was
established with investments from relatives and close friends.
Sakichi became President but the company was effectively managed
by Risaburo Toyoda, the son-in-law of Sakichi, who held the position
of Managing Director.
TOYODA BOSHOKU HEAD OFFICE
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Taking On Further Challenges
In 1918, having made sure that Toyota Boshoku was in good hands
and running smoothly, Sakichi set off on a solo trip to China. He
made a detailed study of the weaving industry in China, especially in
the Shanghai area, before returning to Japan. In 1919, he again
traveled to Shanghai with the intention to live there almost
permanently. He spent a year procuring a site to build a
manufacturing facility. The completed plant was huge, covering
approximately 33,000 square meters (356,000 square feet).
Sakichi ran the plant as a sole proprietorship for a year before
reorganizing it into Toyoda Boshoku Sho (Toyoda Spinning and
Weaving Works) in 1921. He there committed himself to research
aimed at completing the development of an automatic loom and
circular loom.
Sakichi reportedly proclaimed “Open the window. It’s a big world out
there!” to people around him who were apprehensive about
undertaking business in Shanghai.
While traveling back and forth between Shanghai and Nagoya,
Sakichi worked with his son Kiichiro Toyoda and subordinates to
expand efforts towards the completion of an automatic loom.
Realizing the need for a test facility where a large number of the
automatic looms were installed, Sakichi constructed Toyoda
Boshoku Kariya Shiken Kojo in 1923 in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture. In
1924, following a stream of important patents and new invention and
whilst conducting commercial trials, the non-stop shuttle-change
Toyoda automatic loom, Type G, was completed. More than 30 years
had passed since young Sakichi determined to devote his life to
invention.
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Non-Stop Shuttle Change
Toyoda Automatic Loom, Type G
The automatic shuttle-changing mechanism fitted to this loom
enabled automatic shuttle replacement and supplying weft yarn
without any loss of speed during high-speed operation. Other
features included a shuttle-change guide, weft break auto-stop,
warp break auto-stop and other devices to provide automation,
protection, health and safety. This loom delivered the world’s top
performance in terms of productivity and textile quality. An engineer
from Platt Brothers & Co., Ltd. of England, one of the world’s leading
manufacturers of textile machinery at the time, admiringly referred to
this loom as “the magic loom.”
The invention and perfection of his automatic loom, however, did not
diminish Sakichi's passion for invention, as the completion of a
circular loom continued to be his lifelong pursuit.
Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. Sets
Sail
Following the successful development of the automatic loom, on
November 17, 1926, the incorporation meeting of Toyoda Automatic
Loom Works, Ltd. (now Toyota Industries Corporation) was held at
the head office of Toyoda Boshoku in Nagoya City. Toyoda Automatic
Loom Works' establishment was officially registered the following
day on November 18. Risaburo Toyoda, Sakichi's son-in-law, was
named President. Kiichiro Toyoda was Managing Director.
As stated in Toyoda Automatic Loom Works' Articles of
Incorporation, in addition to the manufacture and marketing of
spinning and weaving machinery, a major objective of the company
“shall be pursuing related invention and research.” This was an
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unprecedented concept that originated from the experiences of
Sakichi.
EARLY STAGES OF THE LOOM ASSEMBLY FACTORY
The Type G automatic loom soon became well known not only in
Japan but in the world. Focusing its attention on the excellence of
the Type G automatic loom, Platt Brothers & Co., Ltd., a world-
leading textile machinery manufacturer based in England, proposed
a patent rights transfer.
In 1929, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works concluded a patent rights
transfer agreement with Platt Brothers that provided production and
marketing rights of the Type G automatic loom in countries except
Japan, China and the United States. The worldwide recognition of a
Japanese invention and the request from a foreign company for a
patent rights transfer were a truly noteworthy event in the
technological history of Japan and instilled confidence in many
Japanese.
Sakichi Toyoda passed away in October 1930, having devoted his 63
years to invention. To commemorate the company founder, who was
the spiritual support of the Toyoda companies, a monument was
constructed on the first anniversary of his passing and a bust of
Sakichi was erected on the fifth anniversary. In 1935, there were
eight Toyoda companies and more than 13,000 workers. To express
our corporate philosophy and thoroughly impress this upon all
employees, the top management of Toyoda companies assembled
the “Toyoda Precepts” to clearly crystallize the spirit of Sakichi
Toyoda.
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•Always be faithful to your duties, thereby contributing to the
Company and to the overall good.
•Always be studious and creative, striving to stay ahead of the times.
•Always be practical and avoid frivolousness.
•Always strive to build a homelike atmosphere at work that is warm
and friendly.
•Always have respect for spiritual matters, and remember to be
grateful at all times.
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