“I want to thank you—from the bottom of my heart.”
Chairman Akio Toyoda choked up as he spoke, prompting warm applause from the audience.
He was addressing the guests at WORLD ARIGATO FEST.2025, an event held in December in Tokyo and at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka, that brought together dealers, partners, investors, and local government officials from around the world as an expression of gratitude.
Outside the Tokyo venue, invited guests cruised aboard the Lexus LY650 luxury yacht and tried out the C⁺walk in an area called the “e-Palette Marché.” Here, e-Palettes served as everything from shuttle buses to various kinds of shop stalls.
Chairman Toyoda also appeared at the Marché. After hearing how hard staff were working to welcome attendees, he volunteered for some unscripted PR, saying “I think guests will want to see where Morizo visited.”
At the sky mobility exhibit, Akio had his first chance to sit inside the Joby S4*. How did it feel?
*A next-generation electric aircraft that combines aspects of helicopters, drones, and small airplanes.
During the business meeting that followed, President Koji Sato and other leaders took the stage, where Chairman Toyoda also shared those moving words of gratitude.
Companies whose partnerships with Toyota now span 30, 50, or even 70 years were presented with Wajima-nuri lacquerware plaques. These exquisite items were crafted in a region still bearing the scars of the Noto Peninsula earthquake and heavy rains that struck in 2024.
On a visit to the affected area, Vice President Miyazaki explained his purpose in commissioning the award plaques.
At Fuji Speedway, Toyota unveiled cars currently in development, along with an array of new technologies, including a hydrogen grill, the Toyoda Type-AI generative AI robot, and a demo flight of the Joby S4.
Through words, mobility, and more than a touch of spectacle, this grand event conveyed the company’s appreciation for the distributors and other partners who engage with customers around the world and embody the “best in town” ethos on the ground. The smiling exchanges of “Arigato” no doubt strengthened bonds further.