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Toyota Chairman Elected to Lead Japan Automobile Manufacturers Ass

18 May 2000

Hiroshi Okuda, Toyota Chairman, Elected to Lead Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association

    WASHINGTON, May 18 The Japan Automobile Manufacturers
Association (JAMA) at their annual Board meeting held in Tokyo, Japan today
elected Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Hiroshi Okuda to be the new JAMA
Chairman succeeding Yoshifumi Tsuji, Counselor, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Mr. Okuda, who will serve a two-year term, pointed out in Tokyo following
his election that the automobile industry is now global and, in a sense, the
world is now a single market.  "International exchanges of people and overseas
communications have become increasingly more important for our association."
    Mr. Okuda believes that JAMA should "take a leadership role in promoting
harmonization and world vehicle standards by contributing our know-how to the
world."  "The Japanese automobile industry will continue to work with the
world motor vehicle industry to further these goals."
    Mr. Okuda served as Toyota's president from 1995 to 1999 whereupon he
assumed the auto company's chairmanship.  Mr. Okuda spent most of his 45-year
career with Toyota's international operations including overseeing preparation
for construction of manufacturing plants in North America.
    Two years ago Mr. Okuda was selected as a member of the Prime Minister's
Economic Strategy Council of Japan.  In 1999, he became chairman of the Japan
Federation of Employers' Associations (Nikkeiren).
    Mr. Okuda graduated from Tokyo's Hitostubashi University in 1955 where he
earned a degree in business.  His favorite pastimes include books and movies.
He also holds a blackbelt in judo.