Aichi · Core city
Toyota
豊田市とよたしToyota-shiJapan's car city with a mountain hinterland
Toyota is a city in central Aichi Prefecture that took its name from the Toyota Motor Corporation, whose headquarters and main plants are located here. Beyond the factories, its large mountainous hinterland includes the maple gorge of Kōrankei, the old merchant town of Asuke and the ancestral home of the Matsudaira clan, forebears of the Tokugawa shoguns.
Overview
Toyota lies in the western part of the old province of Mikawa, where the Yahagi River leaves the Mikawa highlands. Its urban core, the former castle town of Koromo, was a modest silk-reeling town until the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works' automobile department built its first large plant here in 1938. The company became Toyota Motor Corporation, and in 1959 Koromo City renamed itself Toyota in its honour.
The city is now the centre of one of the densest concentrations of automotive manufacturing in the world, with Toyota's headquarters, several assembly plants and many suppliers. Mergers in 2005 with six surrounding towns and villages made Toyota the largest municipality in Aichi by area, extending it deep into the forested highlands towards Gifu and Nagano.
This hinterland offers a different side of the city: the gorge of Kōrankei at Asuke, famous for its autumn maples; Asuke's merchant houses on the old salt road; the Obara district, where cherry trees bloom in autumn among the maples; and Matsudaira, the village from which the Tokugawa family's ancestors came.
Landmarks
Kōrankei
香嵐渓KōrankeiGorge of the Tomoe River lined with some 4,000 maples planted from the seventeenth century by Kōjaku-ji temple.
Asuke
足助AsukePost town on the salt road with white-walled storehouses and merchant houses, a preserved historic district.
Toyota Kaikan Museum
トヨタ会館Toyota KaikanExhibition hall at Toyota's headquarters and starting point for factory tours.
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art
豊田市美術館Toyota-shi BijutsukanModern art museum by Taniguchi Yoshio on the site of Koromo Castle.
Matsudaira-gō
松平郷Matsudaira-gōAncestral village of the Tokugawa, with Matsudaira Shrine and the clan's family temple.
Toyota Stadium
豊田スタジアムToyota SutajiamuStadium by Kurokawa Kishō on the Yahagi River, used for football and rugby.
Districts
Central Toyota (Koromo)
挙母KoromoThe city centre around Toyotashi Station and the art museum.
Asuke
足助AsukeHistoric town and maple gorge in the eastern hills.
Obara
小原ObaraMountain district of shikizakura, cherry trees that bloom in autumn, and handmade paper art.
Inabu
稲武InabuHighland district on the old road to Shinano near the Nagano border.
History
The Matsudaira clan, ancestors of Tokugawa Ieyasu, rose from the village of Matsudaira in the hills east of the city in the fifteenth century. In the Edo period Koromo was a small castle town, and Asuke prospered as a post town on the Chūma Kaidō, the salt road carrying salt from Mikawa Bay to Shinano.
In 1938 Toyota Motor Co. opened its Koromo plant, now the Honsha plant. Koromo became a city in 1951 and was renamed Toyota in 1959. The city became a core city in 1998 and hosted matches of the 2019 Rugby World Cup at Toyota Stadium.
15th century
The Matsudaira clan rises in the village of Matsudaira.
1938
Toyota Motor Co. opens its Koromo plant, today's Honsha plant.
1951
Koromo is incorporated as a city.
1959
Koromo City is renamed Toyota City.
1998
Toyota becomes a core city.
2001
Toyota Stadium, designed by Kurokawa Kishō, opens.
2005
Merger with Asuke, Obara, Inabu and three other municipalities.
2011
Asuke is designated a preserved district of historic buildings.
2019
Toyota Stadium hosts Rugby World Cup matches.
Culture
Toyota is a company town in the literal sense: many residents work for Toyota or its suppliers, and the city's schools, sports and events reflect it. Yet the merged mountain districts preserve rural traditions: the craft village of Asuke, the Obara tradition of paper art made from local kōzo fibre, and the Tokugawa ancestral shrine at Matsudaira. The Koromo Festival in October brings out traditional floats in the city centre.
Festivals
Kōrankei maple festival
香嵐渓もみじまつりKōrankei Momiji MatsuriNovember festival with evening illuminations of the maples along the Tomoe River.
Koromo Festival
挙母祭りKoromo MatsuriOctober festival of Koromo Shrine with ornate floats drawn through the centre.
Obara shikizakura
小原四季桜まつりObara Shikizakura MatsuriIn November, when autumn-flowering cherries bloom among the red maples.
Food
Gohei-mochi
五平餅gohei-mochiGrilled rice cakes with a nutty miso glaze, sold at Kōrankei and Asuke.
Ayu
鮎ayuSweetfish from the Tomoe and Yahagi rivers, salt-grilled on skewers.
Hatchō miso dishes
味噌煮込みmiso-nikomiMikawa's dark miso in stews and oden.
Toyota peaches and pears
豊田の桃Toyota no momoOrchard fruit from the hills around the city.
Getting around
- Toyotashi Station is on the Meitetsu Toyota and Mikawa lines; trains run through from the Nagoya subway Tsurumai Line in about 50 minutes from Fushimi.
- Shin-Toyota Station on the Aichi Loop Line connects with Okazaki and Kōzōji.
- Buses run from Toyotashi Station to Asuke and Kōrankei in about 45 minutes; the Tōmei and Shin-Tōmei expressways serve the city by car.
Day trips
- 名古屋Nagoya
Castle city and museums, including the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology.
Okazaki
岡崎OkazakiBirthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, with its castle and the Hatchō miso breweries.
Toyota Automobile Museum
トヨタ博物館Toyota HakubutsukanCollection of historic cars from around the world in neighbouring Nagakute.
Seto
瀬戸SetoPottery town with kiln lanes and ceramics museums.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Is Toyota City named after the company?
Yes. The city was called Koromo until 1959, when it renamed itself after Toyota Motor Corporation, which had opened its first major plant there in 1938.
Can I tour a Toyota factory?
Toyota has long offered plant tours starting from the Toyota Kaikan Museum by advance reservation; check the company's official site for arrangements.
When is Kōrankei at its best?
In mid to late November, when the maples turn red; it is one of the most popular autumn-colour spots in the Tōkai region.
How do I get from Nagoya to Toyota?
Take the Nagoya subway Tsurumai Line, which runs through onto the Meitetsu Toyota Line to Toyotashi Station, in about 50 minutes.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 2.豊田市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 豊田市
- 3.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization