History
History of the museum
| June 1994 | The museum opens (first chairman Eiji Toyoda, first director Kingo Saito). |
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| October | His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress (the current His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus and the current Her Majesty the Empress Emerita) visit the museum. |
| August 1995 | Toyoda & Co. Office Building moves from Nagoya City. |
| September 1999 | Hiroshi Mase is appointed as 2nd Director. |
| April 2002 | Hiroki Kato is appointed as 3rd Director. |
| September | The museum records a total of one million visitors. |
| January 2004 | Norihiko Shimada is appointed as 4th Director. |
| January 2005 | There is a major extension and renewal of the Automobile Pavilion as part of the project commemorating the 10th anniversary of the museum. ・The exhibition space of the Automobile Pavilion is extended. ・The Materials Testing Center and the prototype plant is moved and restored. ・The Special Exhibition Hall and Special Storage Room is built. ・The library is moved from the Textile Machinery Pavilion. ・A section of the first Iron Working Shop is moved and reopened as the Creative Workshop. |
| January 2007 | A Steam Engine (made in 1898) is put on display. |
| June | The museum records a total of two million visitors. |
| November | The museum building and its belongings are designated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as “Heritage of Industrial Modernization.” |
| January 2008 | Naoto Fuse is appointed as 5th Director. |
| May 2008 | His Highness Prince Akishino (currently His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Akishino) visits the museum. |
| April 2010 | Technoland is renewed as a project for the 15th anniversary of the museum. |
| May 2011 | The museum records a total of three million visitors. |
| January 2012 | Osamu Iijima is appointed as 6th Director. |
| December 2013 | Shoichiro Toyoda is appointed as the second chairman. |
| January 2014 | The Automobile Pavilion is renewed as a project to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the museum. ・The start of the automobile business (the Determination, the Challenge, the Leap Forward) zone is built. |
| July | The museum is renamed the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. |
| August | The museum records a total of four million visitors. |
| May 2015 | The Garden of Motive Power is organized, opening the remnants of the smoke chimney to the public. |
| February 2017 | The museum records a total of five million visitors. |
| January 2018 | The metalwork exhibit corner inside the Textile Machinery Pavilion is renewed. |
| July | The prototype plant at the establishment of Toyota is opened in Kariya, Aichi, as a site reminiscent of its heyday. |
| May 2019 | The museum records a total of six million visitors. |
| January 2020 | The Automobile Pavilion is renewed as a project to celebrate the museum’s 25th anniversary. ・A new section, “Automobile Development Through the Decades,” is opened. |
| January 2021 | Kazuhiko Ohora is appointed as 7th Director. |
| April 2023 | Akio Toyoda is appointed as third chairman. |
| October 2023 | The museum records a total of seven million visitors. |
History of the Sako Plant (now the museum)
| 1911 | Sakichi Toyoda invents the first automatic loom and establishes a prototype plant Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. |
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| 1914 | A new spinning mill is opened to produce quality threads for testing on automatic weaving tools. |
| 1918 | There is a reorganization into as a limited company named Toyoda Spinning & Weaving Co., Ltd. |
| 1926 | A general establishment meeting of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. (Toyota industries Co.) is held at the administrative wing. |
| 1935 | “Toyoda Principles” are designated and announced inside the plant in front of the bust of Sakichi Toyoda. |
| 1937 | Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is established, holding a general establishment meeting at the administrative wing. |
| 1942 | Five spinning companies merge and are renamed as Chuo Boseki (Chuo Spinning) Co., Nagoya Plant. |
| 1943 | The production of airplane parts is started. Chuo Spinning Co. is merged into and owned by Toyota (its Nagoya Plant). |
| 1944 | The plant becomes part of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. (its Sako Plant). |
| (Postwar) | The Sako Plant shifts to production of textile machine parts (continues until 1958). |
| 1957 | Toyota Motor Sales uses part of the building as a warehouse for supply parts (until 1981). |
| 1961 | Nagoya Toyopet West Sales Office is opened in a corner of the premises. Toyota Motor uses part of the building as Sako Laboratory (until 1974). |
| 1974 | Toyota Boshoku manufactures seat cushion materials etc. (until 1982). |
Special Exhibition, Planned Exhibition, and Toyota Collection Exhibition (Touring exhibition is not included)
| 1995 |
The 1st Special Exhibition “Exhibition of Invention by Sakichi Toyoda – The Spirit of Research and Creation Learned from Sakichi –” October 1st – November 5th |
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| 1996 |
The 2nd Special Exhibition “Iron Steel Materials Exhibition – Iron is the King of Metals –” October 1st – November 4th |
| 1997 |
The 3rd Special Exhibition “Romance of Mother Machines – Machine Tool Exhibition: The past and present of Machines that make Machines –” October 17th – November 24th |
| 1998 |
The 4th Special Exhibition “Automotive Electrical/Electronics Exhibition – Automotive Electronics to Open Up the Future –” October 1st – November 8th |
| 1999 |
The 5th Special Exhibition “Automotive Polymer Materials Exhibition – more Strong, more Light and more Beautiful –” October 1st – November 7th |
| 2000 |
The 6th Special Exhibition “Car Body Exhibition – Resarching for safty and comfortable moving space –” October 3rd – November 12th |
| 2001 |
The 7th Special Exhibition commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the death of Kiichiro Toyoda “Toyota Collection Exhibition – The Origin of Japanese Monozukuri –” October 16th – December 2nd |
| 2002 |
Special Exhibition commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the death of Kiichiro Toyoda “From Looms to Spinning Machines, and then Automobiles” March 5th – March 31st |
| 2002 |
The 8th Special Exhibition “Automotive Brake Exhibition” October 1st – December 1st |
| 2003 |
The 9th Special Exhibition “Automotive Engine Exhibition – The Secret of Explosive Force” October 7th – November 24th |
| 2004 |
Special Event commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the opening of TCMIT “Monozukuri: The Trend of Manufacturing that has been Connected since the Edo Period” June 5th – June 13th |
| 2005 |
Special Exhibition “Toyota Collection – The Origin of Monozukuri –” October 12th – November 27th |
| 2005 |
Planned Exhibition “On-site Exhibition of Automobile Design – You can see the Moment when Dreams come true–” October 12th – November 27th |
| 2005 |
Special Exhibition “Jean Prouvé, a genius of 20th century design, from Manufacturing to Architect, and then engineer…” November 4th – January 22nd, 2006 |
| 2006 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Craftsmanship in Edo – Machine that marks the time of Nature, Catalog Culture –” April 18th – June 18th |
| 2006 |
Planned Exhibition “The Tale of Cloth – Departure from Tradition – Exhibition of Junichi Arai’s World“ August 22nd – September 24th |
| 2006 |
Planned Exhibition “Working Robots – Masters Supporting Workplaces –” October 17th – November 26th |
| 2006 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Craftsmanship in Edo – Surveying tools for Measuring the Ground –” November 7th – December 10th |
| 2007 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Mixed East-West Medical Culture – Medical Tools of the Edo and the Early Meiji Period –” April 28th – May 27th |
| 2007 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Let’s listen! Let’s take a peek! – To the world of Gramophones and peep Glasses from 100 years ago –” August 11th – September 9th |
| 2007 |
Planned Exhibition “Universal Design Exhibition: You Can See, Touch, and Feel – The Evolving World of Usability –” October 16th – December 2nd |
| 2008 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Edo technology developed powerfully by Guns” March 29th – May 6th |
| 2008 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Please Come, see, and peek; Lens Karakuri of the Edo and the Early Meiji Period” August 9th – September 7th |
| 2008 |
Planned Exhibition “Automotive Safety Technology Exhibition – You’ll be surprised to know! Safety has advanced so far –” October 15th – November 30th |
| 2009 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “High technology of Edo era – Welcome! To the Japanese Clock World –” March 10th – May 17th |
| 2009 |
Planned Exhibition “The Beauty of Weaving and Discoveries with Surprise – The Jacquard World –” May 26th – July 12th |
| 2009 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Reviving sound ♪ Gramophone – It brings to You the sound of 100 years ago! –” July 22nd – September 27th |
| 2010 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Craftsmen are Artists – Craft Arts, from Edo to Meiji Period –” March 20th – May 9th |
| 2010 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “The Beginning of Edo Medicine – The Encounter of Kampo and Ranpo –” July 17th – September 5th |
| 2010 |
Planned Exhibition “Nice to meet you, Japan at the time. – You can see the Meiji Period in Photos –” September 18th – November 7th |
| 2011 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Edo craftsman’s fascination would be shown mechanism – Mainspring, Spring, Weight –” March 25th – May 8th |
| 2011 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Japanese spirit with Western learning – Edo Techniques Utilizing Western Science and Technology –” July 16th – September 4th |
| 2011 |
Special Exhibition commemorating the 100th Anniversary establishment of Toyoda Automatic Weaving Mill “The Origins of the Toyota Group – Here is the Birthplace–” September 17th – December 4th |
| 2012 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “The invention of the gramophone – And then, We got Music –” March 24th – May 6th |
| 2013 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Measurement tools that have supported our lives – The Wisdom and Ingenuity of Our Predecessors –” March 23rd – May 6th |
| 2013 |
Special Exhibition “Secret of fluffiness. Towel and Towel Loom Exhibition” September 28th – November 24th |
| 2014 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “The beauty of use – The Craftsmanship of Edo Craftsmen –” March 21st – May 6th |
| 2014 |
Special Exhibition commemorating the 120th Anniversary of the birth of Kiichiro Toyoda “Kiichiro’s Dream” June 28th – September 15th |
| 2014 |
Special Exhibition commemorating the 20th Anniversary of thw opening of TCMIT “Toyota’s Evolution: Kiichiro’s Dream, Afterwards” October 15th – December 14th |
| 2015 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Let’s Take a Peek! 100 years ago through the Lens” October 10th – November 29th |
| 2016 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Genealogy of Made in Japan – Inherited DNA –” May 21st – July 10th |
| 2016 |
Special Exhibition “Let’s Creat Our Future Together – Now, the world of Hydrogen is Coming!” October 8th – December 4th |
| 2016 |
Planned Exhibition “Circular Loom Exhibition – Sakichi’s Ideal Loom –” November 22nd – January 29th, 2017 |
| 2017 |
Special Exhibition “A Lifetime of Research and Creativity – Sakichi’s Ambition, and the People who Supported It –” February 11th – June 11th |
| 2017 |
Special Exhibition “Sakichi’s Ambition which has been Inherited – Our Life supperted by the Toyota Group –” October 7th – December 10th |
| 2018 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “The Audio equipments from 100 Years ago – How the Gramophone changed Music Appreciation –” September 22nd – November 4th |
| 2019 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Measuring Time – The Sense of Time and Mechanisms Seen in Japanese-style Clocks –” April 20th – June 9th |
| 2019 |
Planned Exhibition “The Origin Story of the Toyota Group – For the People, For the Future –” September 25th – December 1st |
| 2021 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “The Challenges of Doctors Confronting Life and Death – Medicine and Craftsmanship in the Edo Period –” October 2nd – December 19th |
| 2022 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “Utsusu Exhibition – from Edo to the Future, Reflect, Copy, Transfer Something –” October 8th – December 18th |
| 2023 |
History and future of automobile development 1st special exhibition “Environmental technology – Creating automobile that makes human and the earth happy –” October 1st – February 4th, 2024 |
| 2023 |
Toyota Collection Exhibition “I’ll show you the mechanism “Karakuri” – Full of playfulness! Technology of the Edo period –” October 7th – December 17th |
| 2023 |
Special exhibition “The innovation history of QR Code – QR Code was invented by TOYOTA Group! –” November 14th – January 28th, 2024 |