Akio joins forces with Ichiro to unearth the athlete's origins within the world of baseball.
Ichiro, the first Japanese player elected to the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame, recently took on a new role as Special Assistant to Chairman Akio Toyoda at Toyota. This appointment was announced in a 2025 report from Toyota Times.
As Ichiro embarked on his first day in this new position, he found himself retracing his childhood memories in Aichi Prefecture. The journey began in a new Century car, a powerful presence that left Ichiro in awe.
The pair visited sites significant to Ichiro's baseball origins, including his childhood field, the Iseyama ground, and the Kuko Batting Center. Ichiro practiced at the Iseyama ground from third to sixth grade with his father, and the Kuko Batting Center holds a special place in his heart as it was where he used a wooden bat, reflecting his ambition to go professional.
In the spirit of genchi-genbutsu, a Toyota tradition that emphasises going to the source for facts, Chairman Toyoda shared in Ichiro's childhood stories and the mindset that continues to guide him today. Toyota Times will closely follow Ichiro's next task in his role as Chairman Toyoda's Special Assistant.
During the appointment ceremony, Chairman Toyoda presented Ichiro with a handwritten business card, a gift that Ichiro was excited to receive. Ichiro agreed to a new challenge, stating that the criteria for working together is whether it is fun and interesting.
The master driver and master passenger of the new Century car explained some fascinating features of the vehicle. Chairman Toyoda even demonstrated his pitching skills at the Kuko Batting Center, hitting a 120 km/h pitch.
As the day came to an end, Ichiro sat down at a bench at the Iseyama ground that had stood the test of time. He reminisced about the ground as a place that taught him the importance of persistence. Toyota Times host Kyonosuke Morita asked about the pair's next assignment, to which Chairman Toyoda expressed hope for a new challenge, looking towards the future.
Akio also invited viewers to submit interesting ideas via Toyota Times for the pair's next task. It seems that Ichiro's journey with Toyota is just beginning, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for this unique partnership.
[1] Toyota Times (2025). Ichiro Suzuki Appointed as Special Assistant to Chairman Akio Toyoda. Retrieved from https://toyotatimes.com/ichirosuzukiappointment/
Ichiro, in the spirit of his new role as Special Assistant to Chairman Akio Toyoda at Toyota, found himself retracing his baseball origins during their visit to Aichi Prefecture. Reminiscing at the Iseyama ground, where he practiced with his father from third to sixth grade, Ichiro shared stories of his ambitious pursuit of professional baseball, evident in his use of a wooden bat at the Kuko Batting Center.
