The Takaoka Plant is home to Toyota's first dedicated BEV production line in Japan. What efforts are being made at the genba to create a working environment welcoming to all?
Human skills drive transformation
From welding to painting and assembly, every division within the Takaoka Plant has a training facility for specialized skills—a dojo of sorts, where staff can hone their techniques through hands-on practice.
SX Yuichi Yamazawa and SX Yoshihide Otsuka serve as instructors in one such facility. Both joined Toyota in 1980 and have dedicated their entire careers to painting. They’ve experienced it all, from hand painting to machine coating.
As the Takaoka Plant increasingly adopts digital tools and robots, we asked the pair where human skills fit in. Here are their responses:
“With the increased use of robots, people tend to question the value of teaching manual skills, but such thinking is hugely misguided. In order to transfer skills to robots, you need craftspeople who possess even greater skills and expertise.” (SX Yamazawa)
“No matter how advanced robots become, there will always be a need for work done by human hands. I therefore feel a duty to develop talent for the future, passing on skills that harness our human senses.” (SX Otsuka)
In 2019, these efforts to pass on the skills within the Takaoka Plant coalesced into a special project.
Relying on machinery as little as possible, a team spent roughly six months crafting a one-of-a-kind RAV4 limousine entirely by hand. The project brought together around two hundred volunteers, junior staff, and seasoned veterans alike, from every corner of the plant, including stamping, welding, painting, and assembly.
Today, the limousine is displayed within the Takaoka Plant, a symbol of the idea that “monozukuri is about developing people.”
Creating value from the manufacturing floor
The skills cultivated within the Takaoka Plant are poised to add a new element to carmaking.
Members of the Surface Finishing & Plastic Division are using their skills to come up with innovative painting styles, from gradients to marbling. Not found on any existing vehicles, these finishes are part of efforts to find avenues for the production genba to influence new model planning and designs.
“This shows the kinds of colors and products that we can create by harnessing the skills we have cultivated. We are challenging ourselves to try and generate new value from the production floor,” explained Assistant Manager Hiroki Furumachi (pictured left below) and Project Manager Yuki Kanno, both part of the Surface Finishing & Plastic Division.
The Takaoka Plant is also experimenting with upcycling materials left over from car production into card cases and other items—another possible outlet for the skills honed in carmaking.
At the heart of Japanese monozukuri
Finally, when we asked Plant General Manager Mitsuhiro Morita what the future holds for Takaoka, he shared a conversation from President Koji Sato’s visit.
Plant General Manager Morita
Right now, the Takaoka Plant is pursuing initiatives to transform our working environment with a human-centered perspective. We are striving to eliminate any tasks that involve carrying heavy loads or working in hot environments, for example, with the vision of becoming a plant where all employees can thrive.
When I explained this to President Sato, he asked me, “So what happens to the people who were working in those roles?”
Those forklift and transporter operators, for instance, have cultivated extensive knowledge and skills in logistics. We harness that expertise by asking them to take on higher-level challenges in roles that involve designing efficient logistics systems that utilize robots and digital solutions.
By acquiring new knowledge as times change, those who possess advanced skills can pave the way forward by drawing on next-generation technologies and approaches to work. Doing so gives rise to roles that make use of their skills in different ways, and by continuing to hone their craft they drive further evolution.
In my mind, therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry about machinery eliminating the need for skilled people.
When I said as much to President Sato, he remarked, “That is the very heart of Japanese monozukuri, isn’t it?”
It is about coexisting with machines and technology, while allowing people to perform jobs that make greater use of their unique strengths. We believe that evolution comes through reforms that place skills and workers at the center, and that is what we will continue striving to achieve.
Beginning with the Corolla, over its history, Takaoka has continued to produce many beloved popular models. Building on the skills cultivated by earlier generations, the plant’s next evolution is aimed at helping to bring BEVs to the masses.
An unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, and a production lineup that changes with the times. To ensure that this monozukuri spirit lives on into the future, the Takaoka Plant’s genba is committed to creating an environment where every worker can flourish.