Sakichi Toyoda – Timeline

Sakichi Toyoda – Timeline

Born – 1867 into a family of carpenters and grew up in Shizouka Japan.

1885 – Sakichi was determined to invent something to promote Japan’s Economic Development.

1887 – Began work on looms – the town thought he was eccentric.

1890 – Trip to Tokyo, Third National Industrial Exhibition

1891 – Patented first wooden loom – increased productivity 40-50%

1892 – Moved to Tokyo to sell loom.

1893 – Closed business and moved back home.

1894 – Kiichiro was born.

18?? – Moved near Nagoya.

1895 – Founded Toyoda Co. to sell yarn reeling machine.

18?? – Marriage fell apart because he was always working on looms.

1897 – Re-married, new wife had existing daughter, Aiko.

18?? – Perfected steam powered loom – A first for Japan

1898 – Opened a textile mill with another man.

1899 – Mitsui & Co. signed 10 yr agreement w/ Sakichi for rights to his power loom.

1902 – Resigned due to fall in textile market.

1904 – Russo-Japanese war – Textile business increased.

1907 – Dissolved Toyoda Co. – Created Toyota Loom Works

1910 – Resigned from Toyoda Loom Works, but the company kept the name.

19?? – Made trips to US & Europe to look at industrial factories and was impressed with American’s auto industry.

19?? – Went back to work on looms, raised his own financing. Created Toyoda Automatic Weaving.

19?? – Aiko married Risaburo (arranged marriage). Risaburo was then adopted by Sakichi and given the Toyoda name. This hurt Kiichiro because he was no longer the eldest son.

1914 – Outbreak of World War I – sparked massive boom in economy.

1918 – Toyoda Automatic Weaving became Toyoda Spinning & Weaving Co.

19?? – Set up in China to avoid high tariff’s on Japanese cotton goods.

1921 – Resumed work on automatic loom with Kiichiro.

1923 – Sakichi set up pilot plant with 200 new looms.

1925 – Redesigned loom to be mass produced.

1926 – Sakichi founded Toyoda Automatic Loom Works

1927 – Production of G-Type automatic loom started.

1927 – Awarded Imperial Order of Merit for his work.

1929 – Agreement between Toyoda and Platt to make his looms. Platt made only 271 looms. The British refused the new technology.

1929 – Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Toyoda Spinning & Weaving, Toyoda Spinning & Weaving Works in Shanghai.

1930 – October 30, Sakichi passed away. Pneumonia was the cause of death. Before he died, he told Kiichiro “to have your own life’s work” and that he believed in the auto. Kiichiro was leery – GM and Ford dominated the market in Japan (84%)

Source: Creating Modern Capitalism

Chapter 11 – Toyoda Automatic Looms & Toyota Automobiles

Written By: Jeffrey R. Bernstein

Other Great Japanese People involved with Toyota Motor Co.