Patrick’s Day Parade is taking place again along the 600-meter Motomachi shopping street in Yokohama on Saturday People are encouraged to dress up in green and celebrate Ireland’s national holiday The spectacle kicks off at around 12:30 p.m For those hoping for a Guinness or two after the event a charming international pub with a history dating back more than 40 years Toyota's Motomachi Plant is embracing an age of diversity by fostering diverse talent the plant has set out to be a driver of change The Motomachi Plant is committed to its human-centered multi-pathway approach There is no single method that will allow us to continue producing safe We are constantly battling against change,” says General Manager Miyabe “Simply being able to adapt to change is not enough—we should be able to create change ourselves The genba that knows the cars and processes so well must continue to be a driver of change To see how Motomachi is working to “create change,” let’s look at some of the genba efforts opening up new possibilities in various fields the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team’s Kalle Rovanperä became the youngest-ever driver to claim the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) title and a way to create more excitement around TGR’s WRC efforts the GR Yaris Kalle Rovanperä Edition was released in a limited run of 100 this coloring is achieved entirely with paint It is the handiwork of the Motomachi Plant’s painting team then masked using stencils so as to leave out the red sections The elaborate process is finished off by applying the black paint in the same way body panels and bumpers were painted separately before being assembled which meant that these steps had to be closely coordinated and adjusted to the millimeter to avoid misalignment This sophisticated paint job was made possible by expertise and skills built up at the Motomachi Plant in the course of producing police cars and two-tone finishes for passenger cars Having tested their skills in uncharted territory the two team members we spoke to were brimming with confidence for further challenges The pursuit of change is also being taken up by Motomachi’s welders They too are venturing into a new frontier Lightweight and rust-resistant aluminum has become widely used for hoods but it is regarded as a difficult metal to weld to overcome aluminum’s tendency to form an oxide layer that interferes with welding a right-handed technician must move the welding machine from right to left as they work this puts the welding area in a blind spot A major difference from steel is that with aluminum the bead is hard to see until the job is finished Creating a good weld without being able to visually check the finish relies on feel and intuition Motion capture is proving useful in learning the necessary skills Welds performed by both instructor and student are filmed and reproduced in three dimensions allowing them to visually verify subtle differences in movement This approach has cut the required training time from four months to two Whereas previously the only way was to compare the differences between finished pieces digital technology has powered an evolution in how skills are acquired The Motomachi Plant’s determination to drive change can also be seen in the area of carbon which is used in the GR Yaris roof and other parts to reduce weight Light and strong carbon parts are made by cutting sheets consisting of 3,000 to 12,000 interwoven carbon fibers with a carbide blade manually affixing them to a mold in the required thickness and curing with resin sheets impregnated with resin are affixed to complex molds Since human hands are able to handle depths and fine indentations that cannot be reached by machines this artisan skill has continued to be passed down Motomachi is the only Toyota plant that employs carbon in exterior parts such parts are also used in racing wheelchairs Toyota is working to reduce the material’s weight even further to make it suitable for various mobility applications the company is incorporating complex techniques such as inserting bags inside the mold once the sheets are in place then inflating them to create hollow items The challenge to expand the potential of mobility continues Surface Finishing & Plastics Manufacturing Engineering Division we have very few companies mass-producing it and an incredibly small number engaged in downstream processes Japan will lose its technological advantage so we are doing this out of a determination to protect Japanese monozukuri In keeping with the philosophy of the Toyota Production System the company’s genba workers constantly strive to shorten lead times and achieve cost reductions through innovation and ingenuity While adapting to the electrification shift Motomachi is also seeking to drive change by overhauling existing work practices and organizational structures the production of suspension components was divided up with the Prototype Division handling the product development stage Manufacturing Engineering planning the production line process and Machining taking over once the mass-production line was set up prototyping has been incorporated into the Machining Division which has also received around twenty employees from Manufacturing Engineering The structure has been transformed so that one unit can consistently handle the entire process from the prototype stage to mass production The expansion of responsibilities has spurred personnel development and efficiency improvements with the free-up resources being allocated to electrification in 2022 the Machining Division established a battery pack production line for Toyota’s first genuine BEV told us about his team’s tireless kaizen efforts If the connectors linked to the battery are not firmly attached This was not easy to pick up in inspections meaning it might not be remedied before moving on to the next step when inserted into a connector that is not properly attached Even when faced with the new challenges of the electrification era the plant’s operations are underpinned by genba expertise and ingenuity cultivated over many years Motomachi is creating change by harnessing Toyota’s company-wide monozukuri prowess While the efforts showcased so far have been aimed at creating change within the Motomachi Plant some teams are also taking on the challenge of spreading change to the wider world Forklifts are a ubiquitous presence within the plant Motomachi began converting these gasoline-powered machines to fuel cells (FC) and today 167 forklifts—42% of the total—run on hydrogen* Other trials using hydrogen are also being conducted in various locations One example is the drying furnaces that form part of the battery pack line we mentioned earlier This is the first time that hydrogen has been used as a burner fuel in a mass-production process This hydrogen is produced through water electrolysis powered by sunlight with city gas making up any shortfalls in supply Toyota is exploring ways to establish a stable hydrogen supply as it works to decarbonize production processes The company is also eagerly pursuing efforts to reduce the operating costs of hydrogen stations Hydrogen refueling equipment includes parts Since these components should be replaced after a certain time period or number of uses reducing the frequency of replacement naturally brings cost benefits Toyota is testing how long such parts can last under real-world usage conditions the team is exploring whether there is scope to update replacement standards and searching for ways to extend service life who manages Facility Management Group No.1 at the plant’s Facilities Engineering Department explained the reasoning behind such experiments Plant & Environmental Engineering Division No matter how much we improve the reliability of equipment within Toyota’s plants that alone will not create a hydrogen society Hydrogen stations around Japan are struggling to reduce costs We hope that incorporating the knowledge we gain here will help lower their operating costs By looking beyond Toyota and teaming up with other companies we hope to accelerate our efforts to expand hydrogen use and pursue carbon neutrality In the 65 years since construction was completed the Motomachi Plant has refused to be swallowed up by the changing times We asked General Manager Miyabe about the resolve that continues to pulse through the plant today an assembly plant takes in some 3,000 different parts for a single car model Despite having worked at Toyota for many years even now I still find parts crates sporting the names of suppliers that I have never seen before These suppliers continue to deliver the parts we need It really drives home how we are sustained by an auto industry of 5.5 million people The Motomachi Plant’s first general manager was Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda A few days after his passing in February 2023 the car transporting the Honorary Chairman’s casket stopped at the Motomachi Plant giving many employees the opportunity to bid farewell A card from Honorary Chairman Shoichiro is displayed in the plant’s offices bearing the word “gratitude” written in his own hand The Motomachi Plant was established with remarkable speed starting operations just 11 months after construction began and the building contractors who worked day and night to get the job done As the chair of the construction committee perhaps Honorary Chairman Shoichiro recognized this more than anyone Miyabe’s thoughts moved beyond the plant’s 65-year history to the future Shoichiro Toyoda left us with the word “gratitude”—gratitude for not just the company’s employees we must embrace that sentiment and continue to move forward as a collective that emphasizes speed and takes on new challenges Our generation must carry on the commitment made by those who came before us Inspired by the pioneers who spurred the plant’s creation and growth Miyabe’s words revealed a determination to ensure that Motomachi’s bold a street which is a hub of the port city Kobe and has long supported its development celebrated its 150th anniversary in May this year please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Taiga Oka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer As the shopping street has seen many kinds of disasters including wartime air raids and the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake local people hope to pass on the legacy of the past 150 years to the next generation According to the Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street Association when the prefectural governor at that time proclaimed the current block of the shopping street as “Motomachi-dori.” This area was prosperous even before it was named since it was located along one of the important roads there were already 220 houses lined up in the area and the opening of Kobe Port in 1868 attracted more people and spurred development Motomachi-dori is one of the oldest shopping streets in Japan Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street is 11 meters wide and 1.2 kilometers long about 20 of which have been in business for over 100 years Being close to tourist attractions such as the Nankinmachi Chinatown and Kobe Harborland the district is bustling with tourists as well as local people the shopping district burned down during the U.S but the shop owners at that time showed resilience They received duralumin from military aviation manufacturers and used it to rebuild the stores which became a symbol of the city’s postwar recovery the chairman of the shopping street association said that the Great Hanshin Earthquake was a major turning point for the shopping street He is the third-generation owner of a shoe store that has been in business for more than 100 years Katayama said that having received a request from the municipal government he reopened his store two weeks after the disaster He remembers that he was reluctant to do so “I thought there was no point in doing business at a time like that.” since nearby department stores were closed work boots and slippers sold like hot cakes He remembers that many people expressed their gratitude to him as apartment construction on a southern side of Motomach-dori led to an increase in the residential population new stores selling commodities such as fruits “It has become a more community-based shopping district than ever before,” said Katayama Motomachi-dori will mark 30 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake next January “Even in times of disaster or other hardship we want to continue to be a shopping street that provides necessities for locals.” The shopping street has already conducted various commemorative projects The 150th commemoration ceremony was held on May 20 in Chuo Ward “I hope [the shopping street] will continue for the next 200 or 300 years Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun TechTarget and Informa Tech’s Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and Informa we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities Auto giant turns to expertise in restructuring and retraining management in vehicle safety certification that has fallen short this year Toyota has appointed one of its top vehicle evaluation experts to spearhead the drive to improve its vehicle safety certification process The world’s highest selling automaker is attempting to avoid a repeat of the scandal that saw production of some of its models, and also those produced under the Daihatsu and Lexus brands, after Japanese government officials discovered failings in the company’s vehicle safety certification process its general manager at Toyota Compact Car Company’s vehicle evaluation and engineering division to become Fellow at the Vehicle Development Center Mikutsu will undertake to carry out Toyota’s commitment to restructure and retrain other Toyota leaders and senior management in best practices pertaining to vehicle safety certification in his new position as Leader of Vehicle Safety System Development The automaker is hoping to benefit from Mikutsu’s extensive expertise in vehicle evaluation and engineering to draw a veil of what has been an embarrassing and costly episode He will report directly to Toyota President Koji Sato Paul Myles is an award-winning journalist based in Europe covering all aspects of the automotive industry He has a wealth of experience in the field working at specialist Shifting Gears: What Car Buyers Really Want in 2025 Less is More: How Website Overload Sinks Your Sales This website is owned and operated by Informa TechTarget influences and connects the world’s technology buyers and sellers Informa PLC’s registered office is 5 Howick Place 　滋賀県の三日月大造知事が広島県庁を訪れ、山根健嗣副知事と平和施策を巡って意見交換した。三日月知事は次世代に戦争や被爆の悲惨さを伝えるため被爆地との連携を強める.. 　今回の調査では、壁画制作が実現しなかった主な理由として、広島訪問から２年と経（た）たない間にヘリングが他界したことが挙げられるという結論に至った。５月１８日ま.. 　「核廃絶は使命。このままでは死ねない」。その決意を胸に、広島で被爆した金本弘さん（８０）＝名古屋市＝が４月３０日、米ニューヨークの国連本部に集った各国の外交官.. 　１９４６年５月１日。中国新聞社が雑誌「月刊中国」を創刊した。広島市上流川町（現中区）の本社で印刷。「雑誌と言へば中央と考へられてゐた旧観念を脱し、地方文化の昂.. 　いつからだろうか。喜びあふれる光景が大通りになじんできたのは。広島市中心部を東西に貫く平和大通りは今月、鶴見橋から新己斐橋までの約４キロが全通して６０年を迎え.. 　私は長崎で生まれ育ったが、反戦・反核に対する思いが絶えず心の中で燃えていたかといえばそうではない。平穏に、平凡に暮らしてきた。それでも、先人たちの話を聞きなが.. 　中村キース・ヘリング美術館で５月１８日まで開催中の「Ｋｅｉｔｈ　Ｈａｒｉｎｇ：　Ｉｎｔｏ　２０２５　誰がそれをのぞむのか」展は、ヘリングの幼少期を振り返ること.. 　１９６６年、１９歳で中学を卒業した川下ヒロエさん（７９）＝広島市東区＝はこの年、被爆者健康手帳を取得した。当時住んでいたのは北九州市。母兼子さん（２０１４年に.. 　国際社会は危機感を持ち、歯止めの議論に入るべきだ。スウェーデンのストックホルム国際平和研究所（ＳＩＰＲＩ）が、２０２４年の世界の軍事費支出を発表した。２兆７１.. 　動物文学で知られる椋鳩十（むくはとじゅう）に、おどろおどろしい題名の異色作がある。「地獄島とロシア水兵」だ。舞台は萩の沖合４５キロに浮かぶ見島。１２０年前の５.. 　全ての命を守るため―をテーマに掲げていた。ローマ教皇フランシスコによる６年前の来日である。被爆地広島、長崎のほか、地震・津波・原発事故という三重の災害に見舞わ.. 俳優の吉永小百合さんは、これまで胎内被爆者の芸者を演じた「夢千代日記」などに出演してきたほか、原爆詩朗読CD「第二楽章」を制作しています。中国新聞創刊１３０周年記念として、３編の朗読映像を公開します。(写真は三浦憲治氏撮影) 中国軍管区司令部で被爆した八木さんの革脚絆＝１９７３年、八木実さん寄贈（撮影・山田尚弘） 2019―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announces today that it has newly introduced SimpleFuel™*1 to its Motomachi Plant in Toyota City SimpleFuel™ is a small water electrolysis-based machine for hydrogen generation and filling that can produce and supply hydrogen by making use of electricity generated from solar power SimpleFuel™ is a simplified hydrogen station that uses electricity from solar panels at the plant site to produce low-carbon hydrogen from the electrolysis of water which is then supplied to fuel-cell forklifts (FC forklifts) after it is compressed and pressurized enough to fuel seven or eight FC forklifts Its compact size means it can be installed in small spaces making it suitable for refueling FC forklifts within the plant A hydrogen station has been running at Motomachi Plant since March 2018 in conjunction with the increasing numbers of FC forklifts in use there By working to support fueling through the use of SimpleFuel™ with an eye toward the rising demand for hydrogen Toyota aims to reduce CO2 emissions at the Motomachi Plant and intends to support the accumulation of new technologies and knowledge Toyota intends to replace existing conventional forklifts with fuel cell forklifts with the introduction of two Toyota Industries Corporation FC forklifts in 2017 the Ministry of the Environment's "Subsidy for Business Costs for Measures Combating Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Project to Promote Low Carbon Social Infrastructures that Utilize Renewable Energy-based Hydrogen)" makes possible the introduction of SimpleFuel™ and an additional 50 FC forklifts Through the Aichi Low-Carbon Hydrogen Supply Chain Promotion Association along with Aichi Prefecture and related local authorities and companies Toyota is promoting the low-carbon footprint of the hydrogen supply chain as a whole through use of renewable resources and the concept of "production and use." This plan to use hydrogen produced from electricity from renewable sources generated at Motomachi Plant has now been certified through Aichi Prefecture's Low Carbon Hydrogen Certification System Since launch of the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in 2015 Toyota has been developing and implementing technologies by harnessing hydrogen energy which is aimed at utilizing hydrogen at its plants to realize its Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge Toyota is steadily working on various initiatives to reach this goal including promoting the introduction and use of SimpleFuel™ and FC forklifts at its Motomachi Plant As part of efforts to pass our beautiful "Home Planet" to the next generation Toyota has identified and is helping to solve issues faced by individuals and overall society which Toyota calls "Achieving Zero," hoping to help reduce the negative impacts caused by these issues to people and the environment to zero Toyota is also looking "Beyond Zero" to create and provide greater value by continuing to diligently seek ways to improve lives and society for the future Bungo Stray Dogs celebrated the “Yokohama Port Opening Festival” by showcasing some of the real-life locations in which the anime setting takes place The festival is the city’s largest public event of the year as it honors when the 165-year-old Yokohama port first opened on June 2 the anime’s official X (formerly Twitter) posted an online tour of the familiar and nostalgic sceneries The Bungo Stray Dogs locations in Yokohama include: is a suicidal man attempting to drown himself in broad daylight nervously stands by flipping through a notepad Both are members of the “Armed Detective Agency” said to solve incidents that even the military and police won’t touch Atsushi ends up accompanying them on a mission to eliminate a man-eating tiger that’s been terrorizing the population… Source: Bungo Stray Dogs X (formerly Twitter)©Kafka ASAGIRI Sango HARUKAWA/KADOKAWA/Bungo Stray Dogs Partners Toyota's Motomachi Plant has launched 15 different car models We unravel the plant's history to see how its unique spirit and skills have been passed down to this day Do you know how the Motomachi Plant got its name Machi kouba are the small factories and workshops found in towns around Japan while the word “moto” can mean both “former” and “origin” or “source.” Hence the name Motomachi honors the company’s starting point as a small-scale local operation while also reflecting the plant’s role as the cornerstone of Toyota’s development we trace the Motomachi Plant’s unbroken trajectory to this day the Crown became Japan’s first truly homegrown passenger car we must create an automobile industry for Japan.” After discovering the potential of automobiles in America Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda was determined to help his country grow through carmaking the culmination of Toyoda’s long-held dream cost around 12.5 times the average annual income at the time it proved so popular in Japan that supply sometimes could not keep up with demand amid the country’s need for taxis Toyota’s leaders set out to build the first dedicated passenger car plant in Asia “Construction of the plant was a big gamble that would either pay off handsomely or ruin us we probably would have fallen on hard times again (note: as in the postwar period).” initial plans for the plant would give it a monthly production capacity of 10,000 vehicles Given how far this figure outstripped existing sales the facility instead started off making 5,000 cars per month while leaving room to expand capacity later Construction costs totaled 2.3 billion yen Wagering such a vast sum of money on the country’s first dedicated passenger car plant could well be regarded as a reckless endeavor The chosen location was about 2.5 kilometers northwest of Toyota’s Koromo Plant (now the Honsha Plant) on the site of the former Tokai Hikoki Koromo Plant in Tsuchihashi the Japanese government purchased some 660,000 square meters of land for Tokai roughly half of which was secured by Toyota during the first phase of construction a construction committee was formed for the tentatively named Tsuchihashi Plant He noted the following in his autobiography: “Building our first dedicated passenger car plant raised a succession of difficult problems but we solved each in turn by drawing on the ingenuity of the Obayashi Corporation and the other companies that assisted with equipment and machinery … Although I received advice from Eiji and other colleagues do it your way,’ which gave me the courage to get the job done on my own terms.” When the purchased government land proved insufficient local authorities offered Toyota the adjoining persimmon groves Through the efforts of the young committee chairman greatly assisted by building contractors and the local community the first phase of construction was completed with remarkable speed in August 1959 The opening of the Motomachi Plant was a major step ensuring Toyota stood out from the pack among Japanese carmakers the Motomachi Plant went on to produce the Corona with annual volumes steadily increasing to a peak of 444,560 vehicles in 1990 In its results for the fiscal year ending that June Toyota posted record profits of 733.8 billion yen (non-consolidated) Toyota’s outlays on materials and labor came to exceed sales growth and profits began to decline the following year whereas luxury models and large cars had previously flourished with sedans accounting for 70% of the passenger car market their popularity now plummeted amid an RV boom led by younger customers These changes dealt a heavy blow to the Motomachi Plant’s production figures the plant’s team members were transferred to other plants making cars that sold well Motomachi found itself with excess capacity and for roughly two decades starting around 2000 the plant could not consistently sustain a two-shift roster instead alternating between one- and two-shift operations Deputy Plant General Manager Masahiko Ishihashi was born and raised in Toyota City and has spent his entire 46-year career with Toyota at Motomachi our production volume fell to just 50,000 cars We were determined to stay together and do whatever it took to maintain two shifts no matter how difficult the car.” This helped us gain vehicles to produce the plant lineup includes FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles) and BEVs (electric vehicles) and our production volume is finally back up to around 150,000 cars low-volume production that is a key feature of the Motomachi Plant one important factor behind this endeavor is the presence of the manufacturing engineering team Manufacturing engineering (which sets up new production lines) is nearby and they help us to get the ball rolling on new things we start by getting products out into the world and then other plants that are strong in mass production increase the volume and Motomachi is the plant that takes this initial ‘wager.’ Perhaps we retain the spirit of earlier generations The efforts undertaken at Motomachi have spread to other facilities becoming a cornerstone of growth for the whole company The plant’s founding vision is still going strong Please upgrade to a more modern version to fully experience JapanToday site and for security reasons Designated as a national historic site by the Japanese government in 1934, the Motomachi Stone Buddha is a stone carving on a cliffside in a quiet part of Oita City that has stood the test of time Between hot springs soaks and delicious toriten (tempura fried chicken) make some time to venture out to this secluded treasure The Motomachi Buddha exemplifies the key characteristics of the Jocho School of Japanese sculpture which developed out of the work of a sculptor of the same name Working in Nara in the first half of the eleventh century Jocho created some of the most well-renowned Buddhist carvings in Japan including Amitabha in Nara’s Byodo-in Temple His innovative techniques and style which include simplistic poses round face and naturally flowing robes were passed down by his descendants and came to dominate sculpting in the Kamakura period (1192-1333) Click here to read more This would be a trip that would be marvelous to take Art in any form that has stood through years and years is magnificent Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts Join the leading Asian tourist attraction to assist our diverse range of customers A mix of what's trending on our other sites Smaller old towns in Japan may seem a dime a dozen to some they may present a plethora of special quirks and fun facts I'm often captivated by old shopping streets There is something wonderful about walking around shops that have been in the same spot in some form since before the US had states even when progress has led some buildings to be modernized while others maintain their more historical feel are more enjoyable outside of the larger cities where historical districts are constantly packed with tourists One such street is Motomachi in the town of Shiogama Motomachi doesn't look like much when you turn the block at the Matsuya building which has been shuttered since before I started walking this road but the shoulder is marked and generally safe as traffic tends to favor the main street Most pedestrians can walk without much worry or care and do so freely visiting the slightly aged stationary store or the barber shop next door with ease the walls change from the cold modernity of glass-metal-concrete to a latticework of black painted wood in fence form protecting the pristine white walls of the more architecturally interesting buildings beyond Then comes the kanji-laden sign and storefront with one easily readable kanji repeated among others - Sake each wall and shelf of a warmly lit showroom displays some great glass and ceramic work by artists from a variety of areas tourists and locals alike can enjoy a sampling of several of the area's best sake beverages in a take-home glass for just 300 yen The atmosphere on a slow day is one of unique opportunity making more imaginative patrons feel that they could be time travelers stepping back a few hundred years just to enjoy a little drink the beauty of the sake brewery continues down to the next building groups of tourists meet to tour the sake making facilities though these tours are mostly limited to the storage areas to avoid the loss of company secrets Across the street from the sake brewery and show room is more of a sign of the times - Tanyo a box-shaped building of concrete and metal which houses the biggest toy store in the area people mostly drive to the Toys R Us in nearby Izumi or other shops inside of modern shopping malls and it shows in the slightly run-down appearance of the building but it obviously has not been renovated in a while More of these box-buildings separate the sake brewery from its closest pretty neighbor Beside the store front of a small ceramics shop sits a bright splash of captivating yellow The lemony space belongs to Fruits Laboratory With flavors ranging from hazelnut to raspberry it is easy to find something anyone can enjoy The best place to enjoy this decadent midday dessert is not the shop's tiny storefront where only a few seats are open for waiting patrons it is better to cross the street and head for the big red tori gates just a few steps away Just past the tori and to the left a few metal benches wait to be graced by any passing person the grounds of Okama shrine offer a glimpse into the historical value of the Shiogama itself.  In a wooden structure about the size of a small garage the much smaller Okama shrine houses the equipment used by the priests at nearby Shiogama Shrine for making salt from sea water While the making of salt may not seem essential now it was such a huge part of the town's contributions that the name for the town came from this process Article by 'JTsuzuki' at www.city-cost.com To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible The expected tariff cost is significantly lower than the $4 billion to $5 billion crosstown rival General Motors estimates which Ford attributes to its higher mix of U.S.-built vehicles 2017―Toyota Motor Corporation announces today that it has started using two fuel cell forklifts which have been manufactured by Toyota Industries Corporation at its Motomachi Plant located in Toyota City Fuel cell forklift (rated load: 2.5 tons) manufactured by Toyota Industries Corporation which utilizes hydrogen to generate electricity have excellent environmental performance as they do not emit CO2 or substances of concern (SOCs) during operation They are also very convenient given that they can be refueled in approximately three minutes these fuel cell forklifts can serve as a source of power supply during emergencies In order to reduce CO2 emissions from its plants reaching the goal of 170 to 180 units by around 2020 Since the announcement of its Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in 2015 which is aimed at utilizing hydrogen in its plants to realize its Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge Toyota is steadily working on such initiatives to reach this goal including plans to push through with adopting and utilizing fuel cell forklifts in plants on top of the Motomachi Plant Toyota is introducing these two fuel cell forklifts by tapping on a joint initiative by the Ministry of the Environment Transport and Tourism in an effort to promote the use of fuel cells in industrial vehicles in order to realize a hydrogen society 2017―Toyota Motor Corporation has begun trial operations of the pressurized combined power generation system (hereafter hybrid power generation system) which has been installed at Motomachi Plant in Toyota City The hybrid power generation system combines the use of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)1 (hereafter The trial operations will utilize the system as an internal power generation facility with the aim of testing and evaluating the system's energy efficiency The hybrid power generation system uses hydrogen and carbon monoxide which have been extracted by reforming natural gas and employs fuel cell technology and micro gas turbine in its two-stage power generation mechanism it has a cogeneration system (combined heat and power) that uses the waste heat produced in power generation This hybrid system achieves high generating efficiency (55%3) with its two-stage power generation system and also increases overall efficiency (65%) by using the cogeneration system Toyota has positioned it as an effective technology that would help to realize the goal of achieving a low-carbon society The electricity and waste heat generated is used within Motomachi Plant The newly introduced hybrid power generation system is being implemented as part of the "Technological Demonstration for targeting Mass-production of Pressurized Hybrid Power Generation System Consisting of Cylindrical Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and a Micro Gas Turbine (MGT)"4 of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) This system was jointly developed by Toyota as well as Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Ltd 1Solid oxide fuel cells use ion conductive ceramic as an electrolyte allowing for operating temperatures between 700°C-1,000°C 2A very small sized gas turbine with a small power output 3Equivalent to the amount of electricity remaining after power used in the station (for operation of equipment used in power generation) is subtracted from the amount of power generated 4In aiming to put SOFC into practical use for commercial and industrial use NEDO provided subsidies for R&D and introduction of SOFC I've seen my share of vehicle manufacturing facilities Some are more heavily roboticised than others most are sprawling sites best traversed by buggy + 21 Photos Toyota's Motomachi plant is all of these things The site's ground was broken in 1958 as the first passenger car manufacturing facility in "the Orient" and production of the Toyopet Crown began the following year The site covers 1.59 million square metres making it much smaller than Volkswagen's 6.5 million sqm Wolfsburg plant as one of about 16 Toyota plants dotted across the relatively tiny islands of Japan - most of them in the eponymous Toyota City Motomachi is just one part of a massive operation which turns out something like 60,000 cars each year - according to the most recently offered numbers Since the late '50s, Motomachi has hosted production of top sellers like the Corona, Cresta, RAV4 and Prius, through to the near iconic Chaser sedan, Supra coupe and… the Lexus LFA supercar Now, the plant that spawned a legend is home to the latest luxury tourer: the Lexus LC + 21 Photos In October, as part of a wider trip for the Tokyo motor show I had the opportunity to visit Motomachi and see the LC twins - the V8-powered LC500 and the V6 petrol-electric LC500h hybrid - begin their journey to showrooms and owners around the world my first experience with the plant is a uniquely Japanese one as members of staff file out to wave hello greeting their Australian guests to the historic site Armed with an earpiece for the translated words of final assembly division chief Hirohisa Onome speaks perfectly good English - in that very Japanese way he felt his English was terrible and did not wish to bother his guests - I begin my tour of the polished facilities on entering the 'shed' where the LC is built is a final stage of production but certainly the best possible introduction: the intense focused hunt for imperfections in the now-complete vehicle's body and paintwork + 21 Photos Moving the car into a glass-walled inspection booth flooded with bright light from dozens of LED bars Motomachi workers in aprons and white-soled sneakers pore over every panel That's all par for the course with any special model but it's also especially important to Lexus Particularly with its new shade dubbed 'Structural Blue' which took eight months to develop - off the back of a 15-year study into paint technologies The new hue and finish was inspired by the Morpho butterfly renowned for the deep shimmer of its blue wings Lexus builds 35 examples of the LC each day and every single one of them is built at the Motomachi plant The assembly line moves at a rate of just four millimetres per second and although there is still a robot or two on site most of the work is done by hand - as befits a $200,000 luxury car + 21 Photos Signalling their increasingly rare humanity each takumi master craftsman and skilled worker calls out - loudly proudly - upon completion of their part in the build of each car Many of those working on the LC transferred over from the LFA project is surely a little thrilling: I might not own an LFA but the fellas who built my LC have one hell of a résumé Each worker at the plant spends about 20 minutes on every car - a lifetime in any conventional plant - and a regularly updated whiteboard in the air-conditioned facility shows efficiency rates are almost always above 99 per cent when I asked about the three 98s on the board Tablet computers are used to guide each phase of production and the tool itself sends data to the tablet + 21 Photos but you probably could eat your lunch off that floor but only because I'm certain my hosts wouldn't appreciate me dirtying their spotless workspace All of this is part of the company's monozukuri process: supreme craftsmanship married to advanced engineering and systems the Japanese long ago cottoned onto the West's obsession with having conventional concepts distilled into their succinct language the word only translates to 'manufacturing' Lexus has borne the burden of being seen by its detractors as "a Camry with leather" rarely fair and wilfully ignorant of the economic realities of the market + 21 Photos I leave Motomachi thinking, more of this, please, Lexus. More of this. Let's start with an LC F we roll out to Haneda airport as Motomachi staff assemble once more to wave us goodbye BUT WAIT! Catch my 'Facebook Live' video tour of the plant, right here.  Copyright Drive.com.au 2025ABN: 84 116 608 158 all prices are shown as Manufacturer's Recommended List Price (MRLP) inclusive of GST On a dedicated line at the Toyota Motomachi Plant in Aichi, Japan, Lexus’ most skilled craftspeople, known as Takumi, Japanese for “artisan,” work on LC production Many of the same staff worked on Lexus’ LFA at the Motomachi plant and now they’re using the skills developed in producing the short-lived supercar for the LC This is especially true for the carbon fiber components leatherwork and hand-finishing that goes into each and every LC In the case of the carbon fiber components the Resin Transfer Molding process is the same between the LFA and LC The LC features carbon fiber-reinforced plastic for much of its internal structure There have been some improvements made to the Motomachi plant since the LFA was in production the completely white finish of the final assembly area is new This is said to help improve concentration And the staff now have close to 20 minutes to finish each task to ensure they have adequate time to meet the high-quality standards Lexus demands every millimeter of the car is subjected to an intensive inspection in an LED-illuminated room There is also a room with especially thick glass where the acoustics of the engine and exhaust are tested so they sound just right The LC is currently available in LC 500 and LC 500h guises. Pricing starts at $92,975 for the 471-horsepower LC 500 and $97,485 for the 354-hp LC 500h. Though yet to be confirmed, a high-performance LC F is thought to be coming 2018―Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announces today that it has deployed 20 fuel cell forklifts manufactured by Toyota Industries Corporation It has also built a hydrogen station for designated use by fuel cell forklifts at the plant In addition to Toyota's first two fuel cell forklifts which were introduced at the Motomachi Plant on January 31 this brings the number of fuel cell forklifts at the Motomachi Plant up to 22 As part of its efforts to realize the Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge which falls under Toyota's Environmental Challenge 2050 Toyota has been developing and implementing low-emission production technologies and conducting regular kaizen (continuous improvement) activities it is also utilizing renewable energy and hydrogen in its plants and this deployment of fuel cell forklifts is part of these efforts In order to achieve the Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge Toyota intends to continue to replace existing conventional forklifts with fuel cell forklifts deploying a total of 170 to 180 fuel cell forklifts to the Motomachi Plant by around 2020 the deployment and use of fuel cell forklifts will also be promoted at other plants The 20 newly introduced fuel cell forklifts have been deployed by tapping into an initiative led by the Ministry of the Environment in an effort to promote the use of fuel cells in industrial vehicles to realize a hydrogen society Fuel cell forklifts utilize hydrogen to generate electricity and demonstrate excellent environmental performance as they do not emit CO2 or substances of concern (SOCs) during operation fuel cell forklifts can serve as a source of power supply during emergencies Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Tokyo If you're looking to watch a sports game at bar, head to Benny's Place. It also serves a range of American diner-style dishes, such as the popular chunky sparerib steak, which you'd need to pre-order in advance. After the game, stick around and play a few rounds of darts. facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramAbout us Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version A hand-drawn guide to Tokyo's loveliest neighborhood is the city's second oldest temple — it's been around for nearly 1,300 years The area around it is serene and beautiful a popular destination for those in search of a breath of fresh air or a pile of perfect soba noodles Tokyo-based illustrator Justine Wong offers a walking tour of the neighborhood with all her favorite stops for a leisurely day of eating and exploring 5-9-1 Jindaiji Motomachi, Chofu, Tokyo | +81 42-498-1323 | yusui.co.jp Justine Wong is a full-time freelance illustrator based in Tokyo She is also the creator of the project "21 Days in Japan: An Illustrative Study on Japanese Cuisine," consisting of 100 paintings of her meals throughout Japan Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report packed in among shops and eateries along a railroad underpass here almost like the eatery's beloved offering stuffed into a thin dough Its menu contained nothing but the specialty While Kobe is renowned for its premium beef and sophisticated sweets the port city is known for its pan-fried dumplings Hyotan out of the blue announced its closure after 63 years in business on its Instagram account The last day for its Motomachi location was June 16 followed by the closure of the Sannomiya outlet on June 20 The sad news immediately put many residents and gyoza lovers nationwide in mourning leaving them with insatiable cravings for the juicy addictive pot sticker made a visit to Hyotan’s Motomachi location near JR Motomachi Station to reminisce “They made nothing but gyoza and I loved that,” said the company employee of Takasago while standing in front of the closed shutters that displayed a thank-you and goodbye notice from the owner There is nothing we can do about the closure A woman in her 50s living in Akashi in the prefecture wanted to take one last look at her favorite eatery Every time we stopped by Hyotan to buy piping hot gyoza fresh from the grill to go It was the most delightful thing for me back then,” she said Much of Kobe was destroyed in air raids during World War II started serving hearty dumplings to the city still rebuilding from the wartime devastation But Kobe-style gyoza comes with miso (fermented bean paste) sauce for dipping The style is often likened to a marriage of Japanese and Chinese culinary cultures and has become a fixture of cosmopolitan Kobe the city has become a battlefield for Kobe-style gyoza with many specialty restaurants in business in the Motomachi and Sannomiya areas But Hyotan was the "standard," which locals flocked to after work Its Motomachi location had only eight seats at a counter but tourists patiently waited to squeeze into the narrow confines Hyotan was closed during the nationwide state of emergency issued to deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic Both locations opened for dine-in after the restriction was eased But an elderly staffer who was in charge of making gyoza became ill forcing the current owner to make the difficult decision to close Thank you so much for such a long time,” the owner said Fans have left messages on the eatery’s Instagram account One summed up the sentiment of many: “It was the best gyoza ever Miura formerly played for J.League’s Vissel Kobe from 2001 to 2005 “Hyotan has done a lot for me since my days with Vissel Kobe who currently plays for Yokohama FC as the oldest J.League player ever at age 53 Miura made a special request and was granted special permission “They allowed me to bring in rice,” he recalled “Eating rice accompanied by their gyoza is a pleasant memory I still cherish.” Miura said his favorite way of eating gyoza was to dip it in Hyotan’s garlic-infused soy sauce Miura echoed the sentiments of Hyotan fans everywhere “I am so bummed that I won’t be able to enjoy Hyotan’s gyoza anymore," he said "I loved the taste as much as the ambience that hasn’t changed from the old days "Thank you for gifting tasty gyoza and amazing memories to so many of us for such a long time.” ‘Atomic Sushi’ eatery near nuke plant goes under the wrecking ball Tokyo man dies in fire at his eatery closed due to pandemic Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Home » Toyota Introduces Simplefuel™ All-In-One Machine To Generate Store And Supply Hydrogen At Its Motomachi Plant Toyota has introduced a new machine to its Motomachi factory in Japan that can generate SimpleFuel™1 is a compact and simplified hydrogen station that draws electricity from the plant’s solar panels for low-carbon hydrogen production using a water electrolysis process pressurised and supplied to Motomachi’s fleet of fuel cell (FC) forklifts The station can produce up to 99Nm3/day (approx Its compact dimensions allow it to be installed in small spaces making it suitable for refuelling the forklifts within the plant A hydrogen station has been operating on-site at Motomachi since March 2018 supporting an increasing number of FC forklifts By introducing the extra fuelling provision Toyota anticipates rising demand for hydrogen and also aims to reduce the factory’s carbon emissions Toyota intends to replace its conventional forklifts with a new generation of machines powered by hydrogen fuel cells This process began at the Motomachi plant with an initial two FC forklifts in 2017 With carbon-reducing subsidy support from Japan’s environment ministry It has been possible to adopt SimpleFuel™ and 50 further FC forklifts Working with local authorities and businesses in Aichi prefecture Toyota is promoting the low-carbon credentials of the hydrogen supply chain as whole by using renewable resources and following the concept of “production The hydrogen scheme at Motomachi has been recognised with official certification from Aichi’s low carbon initiative In line with the goals of the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 Toyota has been using hydrogen energy to develop and implement new technologies to make progress towards eliminating CO2 emissions from its manufacturing plants The use of SimpleFuel™ and FC forklifts at Motomachi forms part of this strategy 1SimpleFuel™ is a product of and jointly manufactured by IVYS Energy Solutions and PDC Machines in the U.S 2Data provided by TOKYO BOEKI MECHANICS Ltd Toyota Introduces Simplefuel™ All-In-One Machine To Generate Images are copyright free for editorial purposes only Please click here to see the press contacts at Toyota (GB): 07825 280608 or by email at david.rogers@tgb.toyota.co.uk alternative fuels and mobility media enquiries 07909 900 085 or by email at david.crouch@tgb.toyota.co.uk To receive all Toyota and Lexus press information To update your profile type in your email address and press return MailChimp will then send you an email confirming your details and you will then have the opportunity of amending your details The Toyota Production System is considered by many the best in the world Visitors can tour Toyota's Motomachi Plant '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Today's print edition Home Delivery On the back of Hiroshi Okumoto’s business card is the old address of the hardware store his grandfather founded in 1891: Lot number 12 now part of a district collectively known as Hondori is home to the city’s landmark pedestrian shopping street — the largest of its kind in the region and whose bustling arcades are testament to how Hiroshima reinvented itself following the devastating blast from an atomic bomb on Aug 1945.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); “A black market began forming around Hiroshima Station after the war but soon there were efforts to bring back businesses to Hondori where our shop and the shōtengai (commercial district) were,” says Okumoto as he lays out a copy of a handwritten map showing the community before the bomb nicknamed “Little Boy,” detonated 600 meters above it In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Cars UK December 17, 2012 By The very last Lexus LFA – LFA #500 – has left the Motomachi Plant in Japan two years after production started and three years after the LFA was revealed The idea of a Lexus supercar that cost so much seemed barking mad but the LFA turned out to be a very special car indeed not just for its build and performance but for what it meant for Lexus and Toyota – a future that would encompass many of the LFA’s design cues and DNA in future mainstream models But three years after the LFA debuted, and exactly two years after the LFA went in to production at the TMC dedicated production facility at the Motomachi Plant, Aichi Prefecture, the last LFA – a white LFA Nurburgring Package #500 – has left the building It took a team of 170 workers the full two years to produce the 500 LFAs at the rate of one a day It’s the end of a supercar adventure for Lexus but an adventure that seems to have made Lexus and Toyota a far more interesting car maker than before Filed Under: Lexus News Tagged With: This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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Most people associate Motomachi in Yokohama with Chinatown a milk tea specialty store "everybody milk tea" will open in a quiet alley about a 5-minute walk from the landmark Let's start with the owner's vision for the restaurant I started drinking milk tea when I was in junior high school but now that I have grown up and become a little more honest I think I might actually prefer sweet milk tea I can always go to a store that is always there and easy to go to It has a sweetness that makes you feel peaceful and a taste that comes from the fact that it is brewed by a person right in front of you we want to be a place that not only tastes good The tea is made from original tea leaves created with a tea store that has been in business for 90 years The tea is extracted from twice the amount of tea leaves as usual and is made with mineral-rich millet sugar produced in Amami "everybody milk tea" is a new hot spot in Motomachi It is a perfect place for a short break from eating and walking there will be a party with free entrance and free drinks By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Hotel New Grand has seen many a famous figure pass through its doors since it opened for business in 1927, and its restaurants offer a variety of original dishes and drinks. At Le Normandie, on the fifth floor of the Tower building, you can enjoy both panoramic views and chicken curry, the Japanese version of which supposedly originated here. Other hotel originals include their rum ball (a very dense and tasty chocolate bulb made with rum), seafood doria (a seafood rice gratin), Japanese-style spaghetti Napolitan, and of course, pudding à la mode, available at the first-floor café.   The area around Motomachi-Chukagai Station isn't just about Chinatown (the 'chukagai'): there's also the Motomachi bit across the river, which used to be the original settlement for all other foreigners and acted as the trade centre between Yokohamans and foreigners. Nowadays, it may be filled with a variety of (swanky) shops, but if you look between the buildings, you'll be able to see the gates of both Motomachi and Chinatown facing each other, a reminder of what used to be a proper demarkation.  You might just walk past this rather nondescript bakery in Motomachi without a second glance. Don't: Uchiki Pan not only carries a whole lot of history, it's also damn tasty. Opened way back in 1888, they're considered one of the creators of 'shokupan', the white sandwich bread sold all across Japan these days. The original owner, Uchiki Hikotaro, learnt his trade from an Englishman named Clarke at the nearby Yokohama Bakery, and carried on baking after Clarke returned to Europe. Over 130 years later, the store is still going strong, churning out thousands of breads, pastries and more every day, with their fluffy loaves – aptly named 'England', to highlight their foreign origin – as the main attraction. Cafe The RoseThe area around the Foreign General Cemetery is known as Yamatecho and it used to be the gravity point of the Western population of Yokohama while many buildings here look like they've been transplanted straight from New England.  You'll find cafés and restaurants in some of those buildings One of the better examples is Cafe the Rose a British-style café which sits in the midst of more than 2,200 rose bushes in Minatono Mieru Oka Park you can spend an elegant moment on their terrace try the beef stew or the rose-flavoured soft serve packed with attractions that'll inject some fun into your day of sightseeing Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Japan enjoyed something of a travel boom in the late Edo Period (1603-1868) This was no doubt a key impetus behind the famous ukiyo-e landscape series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" created by Katsushika Hokusai around 1830 depicting the beauty of the iconic mountain from a variety of locations Utagawa Hiroshige came out with his series “Famous Views of the Eastern Capital,” featuring landscapes in Edo (present-day Tokyo) Inspiring wanderlustgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Hiroshige followed in 1833 with the series that became one of the greatest ukiyo-e hits of all time “Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road.” Not long before “Tokaidochu Hizakurige” (“Hoofing It Along the Tokaido Road”; 1802-14) by Jippensha Ikku Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Monday it is extending the suspension of line 1 at its Motomachi plant as it continue to investigate the cause of the recall for a certain model The volume affected by the adjustment will be about 4,000 units and the global production plan for July will remain unchanged from the recently announced volume of approximately 800,000 units Amid supply shortage of semiconductors and the continued impact of COVID Toyota warned of the possibility of a lower production plan I tried using "Smart Lock for Chrome" which can unlock just by holding a smartphone Ultra-thin silicon-based material "Silicene" for one atom hidden in the possibility of supercomputer generation Feb 06, 2015 22:00:02 in Tasting the Roman Catholic Church in the Motomachi District is also recognized as the first wooden church the Motomachi Roman Catholic Church in the Motomachi District is recognized as the first wooden church It was in the year 1549 when Christianity arrived in Japan after the arrival of Saint Francis Xavier at Kyushu Island The Motomachi Roman Catholic Church was previously destroyed in a fire which was then rebuilt in 1924 The church has a gothic architectural style which is now fire-proof Pope Benedict XV presented the 14 Stations of the Cross on the wall you will see inside Make sure you keep your shoes on and your camera kept inside your bag when inside the church Drop by the church at 12 noon on a Sunday to attend a Mass This also appears in Philippine Primer English Magazine’s January issue.