Statement from Yoshi Inaba, president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

Toyota and its team members and associates, dealers and suppliers in the United States and across the globe are pleased to support the National Gallery of Art and to celebrate the close and enduring friendship between the United States and Japan.

Toyota is proud to join the National Gallery of Art and the National Cherry Blossom Festival in celebrating the 100^th Anniversary of Japan’s gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the nation’s capital.  

Toyota will help mark this centennial celebration with major support for the exhibition of one of Japan’s great artistic national treasures, Itô Jakuchû’s Colorful Realm of Living Beings. A part of the Imperial Household’s collection, this is the first time that this 250-year-old work will be shown in its entirety outside of Japan.

The National Gallery exhibition coincides with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual celebration of the cooperation and friendship between Japan and the United States. The cherry blossom gift has been at the heart of this festival in Washington, D.C., attracting tens of thousands each spring. Toyota will also participate in the planting of new cherry blossom trees in public spaces to ensure the trees continue to mark the dawn of spring in the U.S. capital for years to come.

This spring also marks the anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan. As we remember the tragedy of a year ago, we marvel at the resiliency of the Japanese people and remember the overwhelming generosity from the world, but in particular from the United States.

Toyota and the National Gallery of Art were both founded 75 years ago, making this partnership all the more special.  

Our hope is that the Colorful Realm of Living Beings exhibition adds to the already spectacular annual celebration, and we invite all festival goers to share in the appreciation of this stunning example of Japanese artistry.