The Woven City officially kicked off on September 25. Three days earlier, one group arrived ahead of the festivities. For them, the place was entirely new yet tinged with nostalgia, as the visit turned into a joyful reunion.
On September 25, Woven City celebrated its long-awaited official launch. In January 2020, then-President Akio Toyoda unveiled the concept at CES, the world’s largest technology trade show. Now, five years later, his vision has finally become reality.
Starting now, Toyota and Woven by Toyota (WbyT) employees and their families will begin moving in.
Later, the city will also welcome Inventors from outside the company as residents. The initial trial area, known as Phase 1, is set to accommodate 300 residents.
The returnees
On September 22, three days before the official launch, one group arrived in Woven City ahead of the main festivities. It consisted of 125 employees who had worked at Toyota Motor East Japan’s Higashi-Fuji Plant.
They were there to take part in a city tour and talk event organized by WbyT.
As Toyota Times readers know, Woven City is being built upon the site of the former Higashi-Fuji Plant.
After opening its doors in 1967, the plant produced cars for more than half a century. Following the announcement of Higashi-Fuji’s closure, in July 2018, then-President Toyoda visited employees and revealed his vision for turning the site into a “prototype city.”
Woven City’s roots lie in the history of the Higashi-Fuji Plant, and the memories of those employees who had to part with their hometown.
Figuring out how to connect this past to the future is a task for all members involved in the project, and traces of the Higashi-Fuji Plant can be found throughout the city.
The event, too, wasn’t directed by anyone — it was an idea that came from WbyT members, who wanted to welcome back the plant’s former employees first.
Welcome back to Woven City
After a tour of the city, the day’s highlight was an interactive discussion titled “Continuing the Story.”
After a video summed up the thoughts and feelings of WbyT members behind the project, Senior Vice President Daisuke Toyoda addressed the attendees.
He began by welcoming them home.
SVP Toyoda (excerpt)
There is something I wanted to say to everyone from Toyota Motor East Japan: “Welcome home.”
Given how much things have changed here, it may not feel quite like “home” to you anymore.
However, if I may say so, we believe we are carrying on the spirit of Higashi-Fuji.
The Woven City project is about connecting our past and present to the future. Even though we don’t yet know all the answers, we want to explore and shape it together with everyone.
Today, as Toyota transforms into a mobility company, we have a vision to “Invent our path forward, together.” But to be honest, there are still many things we don’t fully know or understand about what exactly we should do.
In such times, I believe we need a place where it’s easy to bring ideas like “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had something like this?” to life. A place where we can quickly try things out, pause when we’re unsure, and return to when we need to find our footing again.
The Toyota Group has accumulated a wealth of expertise and tangible and intangible assets through the pursuit of ever-better cars, and we intend to apply these to areas beyond carmaking.
We will start by trying things out. Then we’ll invite the residents, our “Weavers,” to share their comments and feedback so that together, we can create ever-better products, services, and value.
We will keep striving and exploring, seeking ways to bring smiles to our customers and well-being for all. That is why this place, the starting point of the future, is so important.
Over the course of 53 years, members of the Higashi-Fuji team poured their hearts into every single car crafted here. And by listening to customers, you continued to make improvements for them. This is where true kaizen (continuous improvement) was pursued and ever-better carmaking took place.
That spirit of monozukuri (craftsmanship), lives on here (at Woven City).
While what we do here may look different in form and appearance from what our predecessors did, we want it to carry the same spirit and sense of purpose. With our generation’s own hopes and aspirations, we want to pass that on to the generations to come.
To the 125 of you here today, I hope you will come back any time you like and consider Woven City a place where you can always return.