Purpose of the forum

Silk farming has been prominent in Japan since ancient times. Farmers have practiced the custom of rearing silkworms in their attics and weaving silk fabrics. In this setting, Sakichi Toyoda, who wished to reduce the workload of his mother, developed an automatic loom about 100 years ago. He established a company to sell this machine. Sakichi’s son, Kiichiro, inherited his spirit and revived the automobile industry. Toyota City is named after their company.
Meanwhile, washi paper has been produced in abundance in Obara district, a mountainous area in Toyota City, since ancient times. Tatsukichi Fujii, an artist who understood the excellent quality of washi paper, opened an art village in Obara district about 80 years ago.
At that time, washi paper was produced for the making of everyday items like shoji (sliding doors with washi paper screens), umbrellas, and so on. Tatsukichi inspired the people of the village by telling them, “Just producing washi paper is not enough. We have to develop washi paper production into an industry. An industry with Japanese craftsmanship we can proudly introduce to the world, which will become the foundation of our prosperous future,” and he brought art to Obara.
To this day, this spirit has been passed down and people are seeking all kinds of new challenges that will bring prosperity. Based on that same element of creating something from nature, the spirit of these pioneers, the spirit of “monozukuri”— crafting, creation, and production—continues to blossom in Toyota City, and it reflects the spirit of “OMOIYARI”, kind consideration toward others. How should we engage in production and manufacturing, in order to create a better future?
To rethink how we should approach manufacturing through the example of paper, a groundbreaking invention that mankind created from nature—this is the theme of PAPER TOYOTA 2020.