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Sakichi Toyoda

Sakichi Toyoda

Sakichi Toyoda: inventor of Japan’s first power loom, the Type G automatic loom and the original circular loom; founder of the Toyota Group; and a major contributor to the development and modernization of Japan’s machine industries. Here, we trace the course of Sakichi’s life.

1867
  • Born in Shizuoka Prefecture (Yamaguchi-mura, Fuchi-no-kori, Totomi-no-kuni)
1890
  • Visits National Exhibition of Japan in Tokyo
  • Invents Toyoda wooden hand loom
1894
  • Invents Toyoda winding machine
1896
  • Invents Toyoda power loom made of wood and iron
1897
  • Establishes Okkawa Menpu (Cotton Cloth), where power loom operations start
1899
  • Establishes Igeta Shokai
1901
  • Invents warp let-off motion
1902
  • Establishes Toyoda Shokai ; continuous full-capacity production possible because of wide acceptance of Toyoda power looms
1903
  • Invents pushing-up automatic shuttle change motion
1904
  • Invents automatic cop-change motion
1906
  • Invents circular loom
1909
  • Invents pushing-slider automatic shuttle change motion
1910
  • Visits the U.S. and Europe
1911
  • Establishes Toyoda Jido Shokufu Kojo
1912
  • Receives Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon from the Japanese government
1918
  • Establishes Toyoda Boshoku
1921
  • Establishes Toyoda Boshoku Sho in Shanghai
1924
  • Receives second Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon (with Bar for Additional Services) from the Japanese government
  • Completes non-stop shuttle change automatic loom, Type G
1925
  • Donates¥1,000,000 prize money for invention of a storage battery to the Imperial Institute of Invention and Innovation
1926
  • Establishes Toyoda Jido Shoki Seisakusho (toyota industries Co.)
  • Receives Commemorative Imperial Award from the Imperial Institute of Invention and Innovation
1927
  • Receives Third Class Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Japanese government.
  • Granted personal audience by His Majesty the Emperor at the Imperial Villa in Nagoya
1929
  • Transfers patent for the type G automatic loom to Platt Brothers & Co., Ltd. of the U.K.
1930
  • Dies October 30 ; posthumously awarded the Junior Grade of the Fifth
  • Rank of Honor by the Japanese government
  • Toyoda wooden hand loom, 1890

  • circular loom, 1906

  • Toyoda automatic loom, Type G, with non-stop shuttle-change motion, 1924

Selected as one of the 10 greatest inventors in Japan

Sakichi Toyoda was selected as one of the Japanese 10 greatest inventors in 1985 by the Patent Office and was praised for his remarkable achievement.
Please refer to the page of the Patent Office for details.