Honda’s roots lie in postwar Japanese society, and the company has grown around the belief that individual mobility and the philosophy of “sublation” should be valued. Nakabe Hiroshi (中部 博) says that the thinking behind Honda’s current strategic shifts, including its modern EV strategy, is also rooted in the founder’s spirit.
Honda’s roots lie in postwar Japanese society, where its purpose was said to be creating mobility that valued individual freedom of movement rather than serving the state or organizations. This philosophy, articulated by founder Honda Soichiro (本田 宗一郎), centered on providing citizens with tools that were fast, enjoyable and fun to ride. The spirit of that era has remained fundamental to Honda’s approach to manufacturing.
The logic of sublation, regarded as one of Honda’s defining traditions, is reflected in its willingness to make strategic shifts that may appear reckless in order to break through practical difficulties. Examples include the decision to make a massive investment in the 1950s, the commitment to push ahead with four-stroke engines despite opposition from those around the company, and the turnaround achieved through the development of the CVCC engine in the 1960s. These challenges have served as a driving force for the entire organization.
Honda Soichiro (本田 宗一郎)’s philosophy of respecting people has been passed down through a culture that connects the shop floor and employees on an equal footing. In its early years, Honda was a flat organization in which employees worked in uniforms covered with sweat and oil and addressed one another as “-san” rather than by their positions. The belief that human potential is limitless, together with the Three Actuals principle, which emphasizes the actual workplace, actual objects and actual circumstances, has also influenced corporate decision-making.
Honda introduced TQM in the 1990s to rebuild its management, but subsequently shifted toward an emphasis on the ability to change with the times. Unlike its earlier intuitive management style, Honda today is seeking change as a rational large corporation, but the power to change remains at the company’s core.
The spirit of the founding and the ability to embrace change also lie behind Honda’s response to contemporary challenges, including the reassessment of resource allocation as part of its current EV strategy. The author sees Honda’s tradition of taking seemingly reckless steps as a driving force that continues to attract people across generations, and seeks to understand how the thinking at the heart of Honda’s identity can coexist with its continuing capacity for change.