Toyota Boshoku drove home its vision of the future at the Japan Mobility Show 2023, where it unveiled inventive products — each with sustainability in mind. The Home Interior Space included such forward-thinking innovations as furniture crafted from kenaf, a fibrous annual plant that grows rapidly and has a high CO2 absorption capacity. And a car seat whose surface may be transformed to match the user's body shape, posture, and movements via an elasticized artificial muscle powered by air pressure, offered a glimpse of a comfy tomorrow. The 39-by-39-foot booth's primary motif was Toyota Boshoku's iconic woven pattern, which manifested most dramatically in a 1-ton static structure that formed a canopy over the space. Its waves seemed to subtly change according to the viewer's perspective, representing the company's remarkable past and its wide-open future.

“The objective of this design was to express the uniqueness of Toyota Boshoku and to make employees proud of their company,” explained Masaru Yajima of Hakuten Corp., designer and fabricator of the display. “We therefore drew inspiration from the word Boshoku, meaning textiles in Japanese.” The upper structure was crafted from approximately 1,000 pieces of aluminum, upheld by a minimum number of steel support pillars to preserve its expansiveness. The upper truss was reinforced with wires to keep it securely aloft. “I think it's pretty innovative,” noted one judge.

In keeping with Toyota Boshoku's corporate value of sustainability through environmentally sound manufacturing, construction components were chosen according to recycled material content, end-of-life recyclability, and overall environmental impact. “Quality of time and space,” the company motto, was visible on bold signage, drawing show attendees in with its global significance. E