Abstract
This chapter gives an overview of the question and framework of the research in this volume. First, the author introduces the brief history of Toyota City since Toyota Motor (TMC) constructed its first plant, and how previous studies criticized TMC for having monopolized regional resources and exercised power in the city. Second, it is shown that due to the long-term development of TMC management and settlement of its employees, a stable “middle-class society” and residents’ local ties have been formed in the region, fostering commitment to various community activities, based on the 2009 survey data. In addition, a theoretical perspective is introduced to understand this unique process of development. Although the regional economy has recovered from the global financial crisis of 2008, class disparity in the region has widened and commitment to the neighborhood community has weakened according to 2015 survey data, which posits the challenge and question for this research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
Figure 1.1 was drawn by Hikari Kawamura and Osamu Shimura, courtesy of the Geography Department of Nagoya University.
- 2.
Toyota City Homepage (http://www.city.toyota.aichi.jp/shisei/tokei/sonohoka/1004730/1004738.html) Accessed 29 April 2019.
- 3.
The 2009 survey data were for men and women aged 30–69 years and residing within the former city limits. Three thousand samples from 50 districts were extracted randomly from the basic resident register. The survey was carried out in August and involved sending and collecting a self-administered questionnaire by post (valid response rate 51.1%). For details, please refer to Nibe et al. (2014). The 2015 survey data were for men and women (oversampled to ensure a 2:1 gender ratio) aged 25–74 years residing within the same former city limits. The survey was carried out in August 2015, using the same method on 3000 people in 60 districts (valid response rate 45.1%).
- 4.
If it is asserted that workers’ alienation gives rise to pretend satisfaction (false consciousness) and interaction—in accordance with György Lukács’ view—then it is very difficult to disprove empirically. Moreover, when it is claimed that the company’s control extends even to seemingly unrelated local activities, it is not easy to disprove it empirically.
- 5.
Because automobile industry employees are overwhelmingly male, here data are compared from male employees to control for any gender effects.
- 6.
A similar distribution of household income is also observed in data from a resident survey conducted in Kariya City, adjacent to Toyota City, in 2012 (Nibe 2014).
- 7.
Figure 1.8 shows only those effects that clear a significance threshold of 1%. For details, please refer to Chapter 5 of Nibe et al. (2014).
- 8.
If these groups had been included, the income distribution seen in Fig. 1.4 would have been shifted toward the lower side.
- 9.
The main platform for the city government’s community policy was not changed in this period (according to an interview with Community Support Division of the city hall on 3 March 2019).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nibe, N., Nakane, T. (2022). Understanding the Time and Space of Toyota City: Extension of Production Network and Social Changes. In: Nibe, N., Nakamura, M., Yamaguchi, H. (eds) Toyota City in Transition. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9832-3_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9832-3_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-16-9831-6
Online ISBN: 978-981-16-9832-3
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)