Why is Toyota called 'Toyota'?
2 Answers
Toyota is written as 'Toyota' in Japanese. Here is some related information about Toyota: Toyota's main models include Corolla, Camry, ES, Avalon, RAV4, and Highlander. Toyota's industries: Toyota's product range covers automobiles, steel, machine tools, pesticides, electronics, textile machinery, fiber products, household goods, chemicals, construction machinery, and the construction industry. In 1993, its total sales reached $85.283 billion, ranking fifth among the world's industrial companies. That year, Toyota produced 4.45 million vehicles, accounting for 9.4% of the global car market. Toyota is the world's largest automobile company and plays a pivotal role in the global automotive industry.
Toyota has carried a family imprint since its founding. The romanized surname of founder Sakichi Toyoda was originally 'Toyoda,' but the change to 'Toyota' was quite deliberate. In the 1930s, when preparing to manufacture cars, it was felt that the letter 'd' in Japanese carried a heavier voiced sound, so it was changed to the voiceless 't,' making the katakana トヨタ (Toyota) look cleaner and more elegant. Another key reason was stroke-count divination, which holds significant belief in Japan—トヨタ happens to have eight strokes, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. Looking back, this rebranding proved wise: 'Toyota' rolls off the tongue effortlessly in Western countries, whereas 'Toyoda' might have posed challenges for global expansion. The name was officially registered in 1936, and little did they know it would later become one of the world's largest automotive brands.