Toyota Mobility Foundation Hosts Third Tateshina Meeting to Advance Zero Traffic Fatality Vision
The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), chaired by Akio Toyoda, convened the third annual Tateshina Meeting on July 18, 2025, as part of its ongoing commitment to achieving zero traffic accident casualties. The event gathered leaders from across industries to deepen discussions and collaborate on strategies to enhance road safety for all.
A Three-Pronged Approach to Traffic Safety
The Tateshina Meeting centers around TMF’s three-pronged strategy, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities by addressing three critical areas: vehicles, human behavior, and traffic infrastructure. By integrating improvements in all three, TMF envisions a comprehensive solution that tackles both the root causes and the symptoms of traffic accidents.
Held annually in conjunction with the summer festival at Shoko-ji Temple on Mount Tateshina in Nagano Prefecture, this high-level forum brings together executives from the automotive industry, public agencies, academia, insurance providers, and mobility-focused organizations. The Tateshina Meeting was first launched in 2019 as a space to unite stakeholders around the common goal of eliminating traffic-related deaths.
Urgency Backed by Global Data
TMF highlighted sobering statistics during the meeting: according to the World Health Organization (2023), over 1.19 million people die in traffic accidents each year globally. Tragically, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for individuals aged 5 to 29. In Japan specifically, accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists remain a persistent issue. Two particularly vulnerable demographic groups include elderly people over 60 and young children around the age of 7.
Given these facts, the urgency to move beyond dialogue and into action was evident throughout the event.
Focus on Immediate Behavioral Change
While continued development of safer vehicle technologies was acknowledged as essential, participants also recognized the time and cost required for widespread adoption of these technologies. In the interim, the meeting emphasized behavioral change as a more immediate and practical method to prevent accidents—particularly those involving vulnerable road users like children and cyclists.
The meeting’s theme, “Traffic safety is created by everyone — leading to behavior change,” reflected this emphasis. TMF Board Member and motor journalist Goro Okazaki facilitated the meeting, encouraging dynamic discussions around how everyday actions from all road users can contribute to greater safety.
Panel Discussion: Media’s Role in Shaping Behavior
A key segment of the meeting was a panel discussion featuring:
- Naoto Ikeda, TMF Director and automotive business journalist
- Tatsuya Abe, Deputy Director General of the National Police Agency’s Traffic Bureau
- Yuta Tomikawa, producer and presenter for Toyota Times News
The panelists explored how media coverage and public communication can influence safer behavior. One standout example discussed was the increased stop rates at unsignalized crosswalks, driven by police visibility and media campaigns.
The panelists agreed that fact-based reporting—which illustrates the real-life consequences of accidents—can help the public see themselves in such situations, thereby increasing empathy and prompting self-reflection. Reporting that not only recounts events but also explores the underlying causes can serve as a powerful catalyst for personal behavior modification.
The Okinawa Yuimaru Project: A Case Study
One of the most illustrative initiatives discussed was the Okinawa Yuimaru Project, a collaboration between the Okinawa Prefectural Police, TMF, Toyota Motor Corporation, and other stakeholders. The project exemplifies how data sharing and joint public-private actions can transform road environments and promote safety awareness.
This initiative reinforced the importance of extending the three-pronged approach with data-driven decision-making and cross-sector partnerships, an area TMF continues to invest in deeply.
Human-Centered Design and Woven City Vision
Hajime Kumabe, CEO of Woven by Toyota, presented TMF’s evolving approach to designing traffic systems from a human-centered perspective. Under the theme “Thinking About Human-Centered Traffic Safety,” Kumabe introduced how the organization is using its Arene software platform to accelerate the development of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs).
He emphasized that true traffic safety involves understanding user behavior—for instance, asking questions like, “What rules or signals would people naturally want to follow?” and “How can we make those rules easier to understand and adopt?” Kumabe also shared progress on Woven City, Toyota’s experimental smart city project that integrates cars, people, and infrastructure in real-time for next-generation mobility testing.
Chairman Toyoda’s Closing Remarks
In his closing address, Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation and TMF, delivered a message encouraging personal accountability:
“To reach zero traffic accidents, we need everyone to see this as their own challenge—and take action, however small, in their own way.”
Toyoda underscored the importance of individual responsibility—drivers, cyclists, pedestrians—working in concert to foster a safer society.
Subcommittees and Interactive Exhibits
The Tateshina Meeting was attended by around 80 representatives from a wide spectrum of organizations, including:
- Toyota Motor Corporation
- 17 Toyota Group companies
- Suzuki, SUBARU, Mazda
- Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Sompo Japan, Tokio Marine & Nichido, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance
- Bridgestone, Bridgestone Cycle
- KDDI, Kyocera, Institute of Science Tokyo, among others
Interactive exhibits helped bring safety initiatives to life for attendees. Highlights included:
- Immersive projection mapping to educate children on real-world traffic dangers.
- A driving simulator powered by a traffic digital twin to recreate high-risk scenarios.
- A data visualization project mapping accident-prone zones for older pedestrians.
- A pilot project for supporting senior drivers.
- Simulation-based training to reduce near misses at bicycle intersections.
These exhibits were largely the product of TMF’s subcommittees, established in 2023, comprising 43 companies and about 200 participants. These working groups actively collaborate with public agencies and local authorities to develop safety interventions based on real-world data and technological innovation.
