With millions of Japan’s Toyota cars being made in America and sold in America, was it just a “typographical error” when news reports featuring testimony in Washington by Toyota President Akio Toyoda spelled his name with a “d”?
No, Mr. Toyoda spells his name that way in English. He was embarrassed by having to talk to members of the U.S. Congress about the problem of “sudden acceleration” in some Toyota — yes, with a “t” — cars.
What has caused some fatal accidents in some Toyotas is a big and pressing question. The difference between the spelling of “Toyota” and “Toyoda” is a small one.
The dangerous sudden-acceleration problem that has caused some car runaways has been blamed on car gas pedals sticking on car floor mats — or was the problem with electronics and computers? Or was it something else?
In any case, Toyota has recalled 8.5 million cars to attempt remedial action, and Toyota President Toyoda has come before the U.S. Congress to apologize abjectly.
It has been a life-or-death matter for some Toyota drivers, and is a multibillion-dollar problem for the Japanese car company.
But what about the different spellings — “Toyota” and “Toyoda”?
It has been explained that in Japanese calligraphy, Toyota is written with eight brush strokes, while Toyoda takes 10 — and “eight” is a “lucky number” in Japan and China, suggesting “future growth and prosperity.” So “Toyota” is the spelling used.
Well, no doubt about it, Mr. Toyoda and his company are “unlucky.” It is hoped that better luck will return quickly to Toyota drivers and to the Toyota company, which makes so many cars in the United States.