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
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- Born in Shizuoka Prefecture (Yamaguchi-mura, Fuchi-no-kori, Totomi-no-kuni)
- 1890
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- Visits National Exhibition of Japan in Tokyo
- Invents Toyoda wooden hand loom
- 1894
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- Invents Toyoda winding machine
- 1896
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- Invents Toyoda power loom made of wood and iron
- 1897
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- Establishes Okkawa Menpu (Cotton Cloth), where power loom operations start
- 1899
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- Establishes Igeta Shokai
- 1901
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- Invents warp let-off motion
- 1902
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- Establishes Toyoda Shokai ; continuous full-capacity production possible because of wide acceptance of Toyoda power looms
- 1903
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- Invents pushing-up automatic shuttle change motion
- 1904
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- Invents automatic cop-change motion
- 1906
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- Invents circular loom
- 1909
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- Invents pushing-slider automatic shuttle change motion
- 1910
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- Visits the U.S. and Europe
- 1911
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- Establishes Toyoda Jido Shokufu Kojo
- 1912
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- Receives Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon from the Japanese government
- 1918
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- Establishes Toyoda Boshoku
- 1921
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- Establishes Toyoda Boshoku Sho in Shanghai
- 1924
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- 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
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- Donates¥1,000,000 prize money for invention of a storage battery to the Imperial Institute of Invention and Innovation
- 1926
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- Establishes Toyoda Jido Shoki Seisakusho (toyota industries Co.)
- Receives Commemorative Imperial Award from the Imperial Institute of Invention and Innovation
- 1927
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- 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
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- Transfers patent for the type G automatic loom to Platt Brothers & Co., Ltd. of the U.K.
- 1930
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- 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.