Toyoda Akio (豊田章男), chairman, reportedly prepared gifts including clothing and accessories to mark the appointment of Toyota’s new president, Chika Kenta (近健太). The gifts were intended to shape the image of the new management team and highlight the strengths of Chika Kenta (近健太), who comes from an accounting background.
At the February press conference announcing the change in president, Chika Kenta (近健太) spoke about his focus on money and numbers, and Toyoda Akio (豊田章男), the chairman, revealed that he had encouraged this aspect of his personality in his own words. The chairman’s support can be understood as an effort to build Chika Kenta’s (近健太) persona as “an old man who likes money.” This emphasizes the criteria by which the new president is assessed in the field and his approach to his work.
Toyoda Akio (豊田章男), the chairman, intended to convey Chika Kenta’s (近健太) strengths in a few short words and support the development of his public persona. Drawing on his own experience, he gave Chika Kenta (近健太) a suit and glasses made with colleagues as a gift to mark his appointment, and also explained the importance of shoes and shirts. He did not discuss the hairstyle in detail, but appears to be working with Chika Kenta (近健太) to shape how the new president is seen, including his clothing and overall appearance.
The support advertisement was a version of the self-introduction that had continued since Chika Kenta’s (近健太) appointment, reworked for the intercity baseball competition. It can be understood as a persona developed through exchanges with people around him, rather than as a remark that simply slipped out naturally. Building on the fact that Chika Kenta (近健太) comes from an accounting background, the advertisement appears intended to bring employees and fans together without becoming overly theatrical.