Thank you for waiting, sauna lovers.
The sauna feature teased in the August 25 episode is finally here. Yuta Tomikawa is getting refreshed in Finland!
Sauna culture is such an integral part of daily life in Finland that it was registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Finland is also home to Harvia, a major sauna manufacturer that, in June, announced a concept model co-developed with Toyota—a sauna powered by hydrogen combustion technology.
Toyota’s CTO Hiroki Nakajima and Harvia’s CTO Timo Harvia went on-site to talk about the sauna project.
The hydrogen sauna produces steam during combustion, resulting in high thermal conductivity and rapid rises in body temperature. Compared to typical electric saunas in Japan, it offers higher humidity and is gentler on the throat.
Because of this, it’s easier to have conversations inside the sauna, and people like Yuta Tomikawa, who are concerned about throat health, especially appreciate it.
Then CTO Nakajima shares his take on “TPS in the Sauna”. For details, see the full video.
With just a six-month development period, Harvia and Toyota’s technicians went through trial and error to finalize this concept model. The people of Finland, the land of the sauna, experienced it and expressed their satisfaction with smiles.
The video also highlights the efforts of Jyväskylä, Finland, where initiatives are underway to use hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions. The city features fuel cell buses, a hydrogen station, and a museum dedicated to hydrogen education. Finland is highly advanced in environmental efforts, and this city is beginning to emerge as a hydrogen town.
Mayor Timo Koivisto said the projects run by Cefmof* are “moving forward at high speed,” calling the hydrogen sauna a great achievement with potential for the future.
*Central Finland Mobility Foundation (Cefmof) was established in 2024 through a collaboration between Jyväskylä City, TGR-WRT, and the Toyota Mobility Foundation. Cefmof is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting hydrogen use in the city.
This was the sweatiest Toyota Times in history. Be sure to watch it to the end!