In the second half of our discussion, Toyota's WorldSkills gold medalists shared how they like to recharge, as well as their goals for the future. We also checked in with one of the instructors who led them to success.
Growing into trusted craftspeople
Morioka, Mechanical Drawing & Design I want to be a technician who loves monozukuri and continues enjoying making things. Hoshino’s instructor told us that “What you love, you will do well,” and I have never forgotten these words. Those who truly love monozukuri will continue to get better. I’m sure that everyone senses that.
In my case it is mechanical drawing, and I think the more I enjoy and love it, the more my skills will grow. I want to be smiling while I work, so that even the people around me can tell how much I enjoy it.
What do you enjoy about mechanical drawing?
When I’m making a model or inputting the dimensions, I feel like, “The drawing is coming together—this is fun!” (laughs).
Mizuno, Prototype Modeling As a gold medalist in this discipline, I hope to share lessons and insights through my words and actions.
Until now, I had not been able to find a place where I could shine or achieve results on a big stage. After putting everything I had into the competition, the gold medal has given me confidence.
Kubo, Plastic Die Engineering I want to be someone who always aims higher. One of my favorite sayings is “Make today transcend yesterday and tomorrow.” When you’re completely immersed in the task at hand, there are times when you just want it to be over and done with, but I want to continue making progress, no matter how small, even just a micron more precise or a second faster.
*A phrase with which Taka, vocalist of the rock band One OK Rock, greeted the audience at concerts.
Since I will be competing again next year, I want to hone my skills even further and aim for first place with 100 points.
Sugata, Car Painting I want to be loved by the people around me. That comes from our workplace TL (team leader). I feel that supervisors are often hard to approach, but this TL engages with everyone and is approached by everyone. This ability to communicate is something I admire.
I also receive all kinds of advice on the skills side. I too want to be someone who can be relied upon, both as a person and in technical aspects, and live up to the expectation that if you ask me to do something, it will come back exactly as requested.
Gold is not the end goal
We heard about the importance of peers and rivals, attention to detail in tools and products, and the honor of wearing the national flag. While the training period no doubt had its share of hardships as well, the young competitors went on to produce outstanding results on the big stage. Their words revealed the pride of true craftspeople.
For them, however, gold medals are not the end goal.
Also present to observe our discussion was Team Leader Akihiro Noda, a former National Skills participant who has mentored many competitors over more than 15 years as an instructor.
Speaking about what the competition means for Toyota, TL Noda describes it as “a place for developing people who will use the high technical and interpersonal skills they have gained to become the heart of their respective workplaces.”
Team Leader Noda, Skill Competition Section, Toyota Monozukuri Development Division
In competition, you get results—either you were the best in Japan, the best in the world, or not. Regardless of the results, however, to reach the gold medal level, you need to master the necessary elements, and that is the level of skill these guys have achieved.
We should think of gold medals as a target, not as our end goal. The fact is that all the skills they have developed through competition will not be fully utilized in the workplace.
What’s important is that they have continued to improve by pitting their skills against each other on the WorldSkills stage. I want them to approach their work in a way that draws on this experience, to inspire and lead those around them.
I hope they will be self-driven individuals who find their own goals and figure out how to realize them.
In the workplaces that have welcomed WorldSkills competitors, they have been praised as highly adaptable and motivated to take on new challenges, with a keen eye for what must be done to make operations more efficient.
Whether continuing to hone their skills, trying to learn new ones, or passing on their knowledge to peers and junior colleagues, the medalists each have their own aspirations for the future. We hope the experience and confidence gained here will serve them well in the next stage, and they can continue to reach even greater heights.
With the international competition held every other year, the next event will be hosted in Shanghai, China, in 2026. Then in 2028, the WorldSkills Competition is set to arrive at Toyota’s home turf of Aichi Prefecture. This year’s national contest will serve as an important arena for selecting Japan’s 2026 team.
We look forward to seeing the monozukuri prowess of Toyota, and Japan, showcased on the big stage.