Developing the Human-Centric Philosophy Within Woven City's Infrastructure
In the heart of Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, a new city is taking shape. This isn't just any city, but a pioneering project called Woven City, a vision born out of necessity following the closure of a factory in Higashi-Fuji in 2011.
The closure was a result of Toyota's decision to strengthen manufacturing in Tohoku, a region severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. With many workers from the closed factory unable to relocate or find new opportunities in Tohoku, President Toyoda and executives at Toyota saw an opportunity to revitalise the Shizuoka area.
Woven City, therefore, was conceived as a high technology living laboratory, a place to test and develop new technologies in a real-world environment. Its location at the foot of Mount Fuji offers a large, open area near Toyota's Higashi-Fuji plant, making it an ideal testbed for innovation.
The human-centered philosophy at Woven City is a testament to the founding era of Sakichi Toyoda, a philosophy that James Kuffner, Operating Officer and CEO of Woven Planet Holdings, has vowed to uphold. Kuffner, who leads Toyota's automated development and the Woven City project, made these comments at the 2021 Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting.
Woven City is more than just a project for Susono; it's a promise. Akio, in his remarks, assured that Woven City will always be human-centered. Toyota Motor East Japan has grown up with Susono, and Woven City continues to move forward with high hopes for the future.
The city is not being built on a vacant lot, but on the place and history of the former Higashi-Fuji Plant. The employees who worked there are considered co-founders of Woven City, their spirit and values inherent in the city's development. The value of always thinking about others and their feelings first will be inherited by all members in developing the city.
As Woven City grows, so does its potential. Although it was born in Japan, its scope can be extended more broadly in regions all over the world as it accelerates the development of new technology. The next generation will be able to grow up with Woven City, a prototype of the future that Toyota started constructing on February 23, 2021.
This year, Susono City celebrated its 50th anniversary, a milestone that Woven City is proud to be a part of. As the city looks towards the future, it does so with a commitment to its human-centered philosophy, a promise to its co-founders, and a vision for a better, more connected world.
