Japan Automotive Hall of Fame

In the Western world, it is customary for those who have excelled in their chosen field - be it sports, art, medical research, industry, et cetera - to be held up and admired. Their achievements, more often than not, are recognized in a Hall of Fame. A person’s induction into such an establishment is indeed a celebrated accolade, on a par with having a building or road named in their honor.

In America, on the site of the Henry Ford estate in Dearborn, there is an Automotive Hall of Fame, containing memorabilia and information on those inducted. In effect, the AHF is a museum of people, rather than a more conventional museum featuring various products or works of art.

In the year 2000, an equivalent Hall of Fame was established in Tokyo, called the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame (or JAHFA), based at the National Museum of Nature and Science of Japan. Since 2001, each year, five or six people have been inducted in an annual award ceremony held at the museum.

With plans to involve other museums to help spread the word (as in Kumamoto, where a dedicated display was opened several years ago), the Japanese Automotive Hall of Fame (a registered NPO) serves a useful role, informing people of the outstanding achievements made over the years by the motor industry pioneers and their successors. Of even greater importance, it will hopefully inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.

Born in 1894, after completing his education at Tokyo Imperial University, Toyoda joined the family business - the Toyoda Spinning & Weaving Co. in Aiichi Prefecture. Eventually, in the 1930s, he established a car-building factory, and the Toyota brand was born as a result. Toyota was originally Toyoda. When Toyoda was changed to Toyota Motors, one part of the company still kept the Toyoda name (Toyoda Machinery) which still exists today selling Machine Tools. He died in March 1952.

Born in November 1906, Honda worked at a car repair firm in Tokyo before establishing his own workshop in 1928. The Honda marque was established in October 1946, starting with motorcycles before moving into the automotive field. The brand also became synonymous with racing on two and four wheels. Honda died in 1991.

Born in 1910, Fujisawa joined Honda in 1949 and looked after the business aspect of the brand. He died in 1988.

Yanase was born in 1916 in Tokyo, joining his father's company , in 1939. Yanase was a trailblazer in dealing in imported cars in Japan, introducing several brands to the country. Yanase was inducted to the Automotive Hall of Fame in North America in 2004.

Born in 1915, Hirao graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1939. He became a Professor in 1954, working to improve all aspects of the motor industry (he had over 200 theses published), and a Fellow of the SAE in 1977. He died in July 1995.

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Wikipedia