Background
Shotaro Kamiya was born in Aichi Prefecture.
Shotaro Kamiya was born in Aichi Prefecture.
In 1917 Kamiya Shotaro graduated from the Nagoya Commercial School.
Shotaro Kamiya began his career after graduatiion, working in England and the United States for the giant trading company, Mitsui and Co. He later worked for General Motors in Japan. Just a few years after assuming Toyota's top post, Mr. Kamiya laid the groundwork for a nationwide network of dealerships that would eventually expand to 319 franchised dealers and more than 3,300 outlets selling Toyota products. In 1975, Shotaro Kamiya was appointed chairman of Toyota Motor Sales. He assumed the post of honorary chairman last year.
Mr, Kamiya, whose motto, "First the customer, then the dealers, then the manufacturer," became the company's guiding philosophy, made world headlines in 1972, when he established a $445,000 shrine for the repose of the souls of persons killed in Toyota cars.