Toyota, Aichi

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**Toyota City**
**豊田市**
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu, Tokai
Prefecture	Aichi prefecture
Physical characteristics
Area	918.47 km²
Population (as of October 1, 2005)
Total	411,137
Density	447.63/km²
Symbols
Tree	zelkova
Flower	Sunflower
Toyota City City Hall
Mayor	Kōhei Suzuki
Address	〒471-8501 Toyota-shi, Nishi-machi 3-60

Toyota (豊田市; -shi) is a city located in the Mikawa region of Aichi, Japan, east-southeast of Nagoya.

[edit] Koromo and Toyota

Koromo Town (挙母町), the predecessor of present day Toyota, was a major producer of silk, and prospered in the Mikawa Region from the Meiji Era through the Taisho period. As the demand for raw silk declined in Japan and abroad, the town entered a period of gradual decline. That decline encouraged Kiichiro Toyoda, cousin of Eiji Toyoda, to look for manufacturing alternatives to the family's automatic loom manufacturing business. This in turn led to the founding of what became the Toyota Motor Corporation.

Toyota City Hall

The town gained city status on March 1, 1951. The town changed its name to Toyota in 1959 and became the sister city of another automotive industry headquarters, Detroit, Michigan, one year later. Toyota-shi is also twinned with the County of Derbyshire, England.

On March 25, 2005, Expo 2005 opened with its main site being in Nagakute and additional activity in Seto and Toyota. The expo continued until September 25, 2005.

[edit] History

The Matsudaira clan, one member of which took the name Tokugawa Ieyasu and became the first of fifteen Tokugawa shoguns, derived its name from a village of the same name, now part of Toyota.

March 1, 1951: The town of Koromo from Nishikamo District gained city status.
September 30, 1956: The city absorbed the village of Takahashi from Nishikamo District.
January 1, 1959: As listed above, the city changed their name to Toyota.
1960: Became a sister city with Detroit, Michigan, United States.
March 1, 1964: The city absorbed the town of Kamisato from Hekikai District.
March 1965: Sunflower became the city's flower.
September 1, 1965: The city absorbed the town of Takaoka from Hekikai District.
April 1, 1967: The city absorbed the town of Sarunage from Nishikamo District.
1968: The Inagual Toyota Festival was held.
April 1, 1970: The city absorbed the village of Matsudaira from Higashikamo District.
1979: The Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) opened the Toyota New Line (now Toyota Line).
1988: The pan-Aichi Railway Line opened.
1998: Became a Core City.
1999: The Toyota Ohashi opened.
2001: Toyota Stadium opened.
2005: Aichi Rapid Transit opened the Tobukyuryo Line.
April 1, 2005: The city absorbed the towns of Fujioka and Obara from Nishikamo District and the towns of Asuke, Shimoyama, Asahi and Inabu from Higashikamo District to become the current city of Toyota.