VOX POPULI: Toyota's 'shining crown' now knocked askew

In the history of Japan's automotive industry, the first car that could be called all-Japanese was Toyota Motor Corp.'s Crown, which first rolled off the assembly line in 1955.

Three years later, Toyota started exporting a left-hand-drive version of the Crown to the United States. But U.S. consumers found it lacking in power and prone to mechanical troubles on the road. Toyota was forced to take the Crown out of the U.S. market soon after.

Half a century later, however, the Toyota brand came to spell reliability. But the "shining crown of reliability" that the automaker has worn so proudly now sits askew.

As if trying to hold that wobbly crown in place, Toyota President Akio Toyoda testified Wednesday before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The scene was like a trial in which the United States--the "car nation"--sat in judgment of defective Toyota vehicles.

"All the Toyota vehicles bear my name," Toyoda told the committee. "I, more than anyone, wish ・for our customers to feel safe when they use our vehicles." His bespectacled eyes looked a bit timid, and I wondered if people saw this as a sign of his sincerity.

Automobiles are indispensable for daily transportation for most Americans. Auto engineers may think differently, but I can readily understand the anger voiced by U.S. car owners who feel "betrayed" by their own vehicles.

Whether it is the aviation or food industry, any company entrusted with people's lives can never be too careful. The words and actions of bitterly disappointed customers produce the most effective negative advertising against a company.

Soichiro Honda (1906-1991), the founder of Honda Motor Co., lived to regret using his family name in the company name.

But Toyota's founder Kiichiro Toyoda (1894-1952) was said to have felt an affinity for Ford Motor Co., where the founding family remains involved in the management.

Akio Toyoda bears the handicap of being the founder's grandson. Any misstep he makes will be an invitation for critics of family-run businesses to pounce on him.

Although congressional hearings in general have a strong element of political theater, Toyota's conduct could nonetheless determine the credibility of all Japanese products in the eyes of American consumers.

From President Toyoda on down, the entire company has no choice but to stand strong against this wave of crises and regain the trust of its customers. This is the fate of anyone who wears such a crown.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 26

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.