The Toyota Motor Corporation is the largest automaker in Japan and one of the largest in the world, producing over 10 million vehicles per year.

The oil crisis of the 1970s had a major impact on Japan's economy, leading to increased focus on energy conservation and alternative sources of energy.

The airbag, which was co-invented by Yasuzaburo Kobori and Allen K. Breed in the 1980s, has become a standard safety feature in automobiles worldwide.