Tokyo —
When Akio Toyoda, Chairman of the Board and automotive philosopher-in-chief, takes the mic, it’s never “just another press briefing.” Today at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, he didn’t just unveil a car — he practically narrated a national comeback saga.
Standing before an audience that came expecting horsepower but got history lessons instead, Toyoda began with his trademark humility: “I am Akio Toyoda.” (As if anyone in the room hadn’t already whispered “there he is!” the moment he walked in.)
What followed was less a corporate presentation and more a cinematic TED Talk on Japan’s spirit — with the Toyota Century playing the lead role as “the car that carries Japan on its shoulders.”
The Gospel According to the Century
Toyoda retraced the brand’s divine lineage: from Kiichiro Toyoda’s postwar dream of a “democratic automotive nation” to Kenya Nakamura’s daring mission in the 1960s to build a luxury car that could make Rolls-Royce sweat politely.
“Tradition will follow,” Nakamura had declared, and he wasn’t wrong. With Edo metal engraving, Nishijin-ori brocade seats, and the kind of refinement that could make a Zen monk tear up, the Century wasn’t built — it was composed.
It soon became the personal favorite of Shoichiro Toyoda, who, in true Toyota fashion, gave feedback from the back seat: “Better stability in crosswinds, please.” Because at Toyota, even feedback travels first class.
From Lost Decades to Found Purpose
Toyoda’s tone then turned reflective: “Japan has had its lost 30 years,” he admitted, pausing just long enough for every journalist to type that quote. But, ever the optimist, he added, “If Kiichiro and Nakamura were here, they wouldn’t complain — they’d get to work.”
And that’s precisely what he’s doing.
The new Century brand isn’t about volume or vanity; it’s about reviving pride — a Phoenix emblem that, according to legend, appears only when the world is at peace. (Which, to be fair, is quite the sales pitch for a car.)
“Century,” Toyoda explained, “isn’t just a name. It’s a wish for world peace and the next hundred years of Japan’s story.”
“One of One”: The New Luxury Commandment
As the Century morphs from a model into a standalone brand, Toyoda made one thing clear: this is not a badge job. It’s a belief system. “To be like no other,” the original Nakamura creed, now returns as ‘One of One’ — luxury that refuses to be mass-produced or mistaken for anything else.
Or in plain English: Rolls-Royce makes cars for kings. Toyota’s Century makes cars for those who act like one — without needing to say it.
Toyoda concluded with a grin that said both “mission accomplished” and “wait till you see what’s next.”
“Century,” he said softly, “is Japan’s pride, reborn for the next hundred years.”
And just like that, the room — full of journalists, executives, and at least three stunned luxury-car rivals — broke into applause.
After all, when Akio Toyoda talks about a car, he’s really talking about a country. And today, that country roared back to life — quietly, elegantly, and to be like no other.
