When visiting Toyota City, besides a factory tour and the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, visitors cannot miss the Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall. On your first step inside, you will be introduced to Toyota's automobile technology and work towards environmental conservation and safety. Varieties of their latest models are displayed in the hall, including next generation concept cars, hybrid cars and racing cars. I wish I could have a chance to drive one of the racing cars. The exhibition is interesting with information on assembly, auto parts, and propulsion system of both modern and old fashioned cars. Visitors can enjoy and take as much time as they want to explore what interests them. I took more than 10 minutes at some points. The exhibition hall has a souvenir shop where visitors can shop for car miniatures and Toyota souvenirs. What I liked most in the Exhibition Hall is the Toyota partner robot, which can play the trumpet. The robot is 120cm in height, weighs 35kg, and looks like a human being. We call this type of robot “humanoid.” As well as playing a musical instrument, the robot greeted visitors by waving his hand. That was really impressive. The robot reminds me that not only high technology, but also art and music that will be with us, as human beings, forever.
Visitors can travel to Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall by rail, from Toyotashi station of Meitetsu Mikawa Line 20 minutes by bus, or from Mikawa-Toyota station of Aichi Loop Line 5 minutes by bus or 25 minutes by walk.
