Toyota above Lexus, Lexus above Century. Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., drew a new "hundred-year plan." The model name Century, which existed as a car model, will now be reborn as Toyota Motor Group's new luxury brand. The emblem was chosen as a "phoenix" befitting luxury.
Akio Toyoda personally presided over the launch event for the luxury brand "Century" at the press day of the 2025 Japan Mobility Show held at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan on the 29th, and with a voice full of emotion he emphasized "the design of a new 100 years." The name also happens to mean "a century," century.
At the Century brand launch event, Toyoda recited the history of Japan's automobile industry.
He began the story of Toyota Motor by mentioning his grandfather, Toyoda Kiichiro, who founded Toyota Motor, and Kiichiro's motto, "Not simply to make cars, but to build an automobile industry in Japan with the heads and hands of Japanese people,"
If grandfather Kiichiro built the foundation of Toyota Motor, the start of Century was promoted during the era of his son, Toyota Shoichiro. A decisive figure appeared in this process. Kinya Nakamura, Toyota's first chief engineer in charge of developing the Century. Nakamura led all processes of the Century's development, production and sales consistently based on a philosophy that emphasized "not making the same thing (not producing identical items)."
Work on the Century began in 1963, and the first model was released in 1967. The phoenix emblem incorporated Edo-period metalworking, and the seat fabric used Japan's traditional Nishijin woven textiles.
Toyoda asked rhetorically, "Was what Japan needed at that time not a sense of pride as people living in Japan? Perhaps that is why Nakamura, together with Shoichiro, Kiichiro's son, sought to create a car rooted in Japanese tradition that could be proud on the world stage and contribute to world peace and cultural exchange?"
But now, half a century after the birth of the first-generation Century, the "Japan pride" that the Century led is facing a serious crisis.
Toyoda lamented, "What does Japan look like today? The era once called 'Japan as No. 1' has passed, and now that the phrase 'the lost 30 years' has become familiar, Japan seems to have lost its vigor and vitality."
Toyoda rather drew the strongest rationale for launching the Century from this reality.
Toyoda said, "If Kiichiro and Nakamura saw today's Japan, what would they say? They would probably say nothing and immediately act. Nakamura, who read a postwar press report titled 'starting from zero,' said, 'It was not zero. The facilities were destroyed and there were no goods or funds. But there was the strength and technology Japan had built up to that point. So we could rise again,' and he reportedly expressed anger as if enraged," his voice trembling as emotions welled up.
In the end, the reason for launching the Century became clear.
Toyoda shouted, "The origin of the name 'Century' also means 'Meiji 100 years (1968)' and '100 years since the birth of Toyoda Sakichi, the founder of the Toyota Group.' But I accept it in the sense of 'making the next 100 years.'"
He added with emphasis, "The phoenix emblem engraved on the Century is a legendary bird that appears only when the whole world is at peace. Century is not just a car name. It is a challenge to sincerely wish for world peace and to create 'the next 100 years' from Japan. That is what I think Century is."
The hall heated up. Among those whose native language is Japanese, there were visible surges of emotion. The venue raised the atmosphere by unveiling the Century concept car.
With Toyoda's passionate keynote speech, Japan's largest auto show, the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, lifted its curtain. The exhibition continues through Nov. 9.
The predecessor of the Japan Mobility Show is the Tokyo Motor Show, one of the world's three major motor shows. After the COVID pandemic, the Tokyo Motor Show expanded beyond automobiles to a variety of mobility, and from the 2023 event the name was changed to the Japan Mobility Show.
Reflecting this trend, this year's exhibition was organized under the theme "a special opportunity to explore future mobility," with about 500 corporations from various industries including IT, telecommunications and robotics participating alongside automakers to showcase the current and future technologies of industry centered on mobility. Organizers said the goal was to convey mobility industry expansion and social change to visitors.
Honda unveiled the Honda 0 series, which embodies the philosophy "thin, light and smart," overcoming the heavy and thick structural constraints of electric vehicles. It is characterized by responding to diverse demand with a range of body styles from sedans and SUVs to various trimmed models. It is notable that it includes the latest operating system, Asimo OS, named after Honda's humanoid robot ASIMO. The key is integrated control of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), infotainment functions and the ECU, which can be called the car's brain.
Nissan, seemingly seeking to shake off recent sluggishness, showcased a host of new cars and mobility solutions. Among them, the new fourth-generation Elgrand features Nissan's latest third-generation e-POWER hybrid system, greatly improving efficiency and quietness to expand market share. The company emphasized it was reborn with a majestic exterior, luxurious interior and enhanced safety and convenience features.
Reporters from various countries at the venue noted the resurgence of mobility solutions using hydrogen as one feature of this year's Japan Mobility Show. BMW unveiled the new hydrogen vehicle iX5 Hydrogen based on third-generation fuel cell technology jointly developed with Toyota. Hyundai Motor, demonstrating its stature as a global leader in hydrogen vehicles, prominently displayed the second-generation Nexo, which boasts the highest sales among mass-produced hydrogen passenger cars. Honda exhibited a hydrogen vehicle based on the popular CR-V SUV, the CR-V FCEV. Japanese commercial vehicle brand Hino introduced a large hydrogen fuel cell-based cargo truck concept, the L4.
Attempts by global brands to challenge Japan's "kei car heaven" market were also notable. Chinese BYD unveiled the compact kei-size electric car RACCO. With a boxy design preferred by Japanese consumers and competitive pricing, it aims at Japan's kei car market. It is scheduled for release in the summer of 2026. Hyundai also plans to attract visitors with a small electric vehicle-based concept car.
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