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Death of former Toyota president Hiroshi Okuda

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2026-08-18 12:03 UTC → 2026-08-18 12:05 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Hiroshi Okuda, the former president and chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. and former head of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), has died at the age of 93 from natural causes. Okuda is recognized for his role in transforming Toyota into a global entity through aggressive expansion into the United States and Europe. Notably, he was the first leader in 28 years not from the founding Toyoda family to assume the presidency in 1995. Having spent 45 years at the company, he rose from an entry-level employee to one of its most influential leaders. His tenure was marked by the development and launch of the Prius, the world’s first mass-produced petrol-electric hybrid. Often referred to as the ‘father of the Prius’, Okuda is credited with accelerating the project by insisting on a production timeline one year earlier than originally planned. The hybrid entered the Japanese market in 1997. In addition to his automotive career, Okuda served as the chairman of Keidanren from 2002 to 2006. During this period, he worked to revitalize the organization’s political and economic influence, including the merging of major employer associations and the revitalization of political fundraising.

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