On Saturday November 17, 2018, the seventh LFA & MIRAI Test Drive Event was held.
Over 180 students from 17 technical high schools in the prefecture participated in the event, which was held at the Ai-Ring test course of Akebono Brake Industry co. Ltd. located in Ogawa, Iwaki City. Staged with the wish of imparting dreams and hopes to young people who were traumatized by the Great East Japan Earthquake, this year marks the seventh event to be held.
After taking a ride in the LFA, the students shouted in amazement at the sheer speeds of over 250 kph, expressing their admiration for the Made in Japan LFA.
They also took a ride in the fuel cell car MIRAI, to experience a different type of cutting edge performance to the LFA.
The engine in the LFA was exhibited for the first time at this event. Katsuhiro Suzuki (from Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture), the project leader of Yamaha Motor who participated in its development, explained the mechanisms of the engine. There was also a special lecture on vehicle development (featuring Haruhiko Tanahashi, chief engineer of the LFA, and Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer of the MIRAI), and a talk show (featuring racing driver Akira Iida), giving the students a valuable insight into the realities of manufacturing for when they go out to find work themselves.
This annual event is made possible by the cooperation of many supporting companies and the work of many volunteers, in order to give young people ambitions, hope, and a sense of their future.
Our hope is that the event will serve as a foundation stone for the youth of Fukushima for 10 or 20 years into the future.

The 6th LFA MIRAI Test Drive Event was held on November 4, 2017 (Saturday).
Approximately 170 students from Fukushima Prefecture participated in the event, which was held at the “”Ai-Ring”” test course of Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd. Staged with the wish of imparting dreams and hopes to young people who were traumatized by the Great East Japan Earthquake, this year marks the sixth time this event will be staged.
This event is staged with cooperation and support from many companies as a “place for creating new future departures” for young people. In addition to the test driving experiences, it includes opportunities to learn about braking mechanisms, special lectures on vehicle development (lecturers: Mr. Haruhiko Tomohashi, the founding father of TFA development, and Mr. Yoshikazu Tanaka, the general manager of MIRAI development), a talk show (racing driver Akira Iida, professional driver Sayaka Imahashi, motor journalist Yuko Iida), and a learning corner.

This year’s event was attended by Mr. Masayoshi Yoshino, the Minister for Reconstruction, Mr. Masaaki Suzuki, the Vice Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, and Mr. Toshio Shimizu, the Mayor of Iwaki, and they each gave words of encouragement to the students. In his address, Minister for Reconstruction Mr. Yoshino said, “Six years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. You all possess the strong spirit to overcome hardship, and feelings of gratitude for the support received from all around the world. Please cherish these two sentiments.
TOYO SYSTEM’s image character Yumena Yanai (a native of Fukushima Prefecture) also participated. As well as participating in the event, she presented a bouquet to Minister for Reconstruction Mr. Yoshino to express our wishes for the reconstruction of Tohoku.
This event, which is inspired by a strong desire to assist the young people who will drive the future, is made possible thanks to the support of various volunteers. Young people who took part in earlier events are today taking strong and certain steps towards realizing their dreams.
We strongly wish that this event will act as a catalyst in helping as many young people as possible draw their future vision and become human resources capable of driving the future.

The 5th LFA MIRAI Test Drive Event was held on November 5, 2016.This event, which is staged with the hope of conveying the appeal of manufacturing as well as imparting hopes and dreams for the future to the youth, gives them an opportunity to experience the world’s cutting-edge technology by test driving the Lexus LFA super sports car and the fuel cell car MIRAI, which runs on electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen. This year, approximately 150 students who are learning about manufacturing in Fukushima Prefecture were invited. In addition to the test driving, which was conducted at the “”Ai-Ring”” test course of Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd, the event also included speeches from Mr. Haruhiko Tomohashi, the founder of LFA, and Mr. Yoshikazu Tanaka, the chief engineer in charge of MIRAI; a talk show featuring the racing driver Akira Iida and professional driver Sayaka Imahashi; and various other events. Also, Mr. Masao Uchibori, the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, gave an opening address.
This year, free soba noodles were provided by Tenmeal Iwaki and Zenmenkyo, who supported the event’s goals.
After the test drive of LFA, the students couldn’t contain their excitement and loudly raved about the raw power and speed of the car.
The students who rode in the fuel cell car MIRAI experienced the vehicle’s state-of-the-art performance and were entranced by its technology. Since this year was the 5th time the event was staged, former participants were once more invited to commemorate the occasion. On seeing young people who had been inspired by this event to realize their dreams of becoming qualified auto mechanics and finding employment in car dealers and so on, this proved to be an important opportunity for us to reconfirm the event’s significance. We are committed to continuing to support the young people who will drive Fukushima and Japan in the future.

The 4th LFA & MIRAI Test Drive Event was held on October 17, 2015 (Saturday).
This year, approximately 150 students who are learning about manufacturing in Fukushima Prefecture were invited to the event, which is held yearly at the “”Ai-Ring”” test course (Ogawa Town) of Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd. Toyota Motor Corporation Lexus International lent the LFA, and Toyota Motor Corporation lent the fuel cell car MIRAI. Also, the racing driver Akira Iida and his sister Yuko Iida, who is a motor journalist, participated and talked about the toil and joy of being an LFA development driver.
In addition to the LFA test drive, the participants had opportunities to experience Japanese manufacturing technology. Akebono Brake Industry offered its patrol vehicle to let the participants learn about braking technology; and there was a chance to see the LFA’s bare chassis with exterior plating removed. In the afternoon, Akira Iida gave a driving performance in the LFA, while Mr. Haruhiko Tomohashi, the founder of LFA development, gave his speech. The students keenly listened to the secret episodes behind the development of the LFA. They were moved by the message that “cars and people are honed by experiencing and finally overcoming numerous failures and disappointments”. We were filled with gratitude to hear the words, “Fukushima is the LFA’s second home”.
Having come into contact with the world’s ultimate sports car and state-of-the-art hydrogen car, the students exclaimed “I’m glad I took part in this event”, “That was a great experience” and “I want to utilize this experience to gain employment in the auto industry”. Hearing such comments gives happiness to us organizers more than anything else. In staging the event, we received assistance from Toyota Motor Corporation, Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd, Sato Nenryo, which donated 500 liters of gasoline free of charge, Joyo Management Consultants, LEC Inc., and Gurutto Iwaki. Second-year students from Hama Technical Academy, which was also a participating school, helped with running the event as volunteer staff. We are once again filled with gratitude to see how the circle of support grows wider every year. We will continue to support the dreams, hopes, and courage of students from now on.

We staged the 3rd Lexus LFA Test Drive Event on July 19, 2014 (Saturday) with full cooperation from Toyota Motor Corporation Lexus International and Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd. This year, approximately 200 high school and technical college students who are learning about manufacturing in Fukushima Prefecture, were invited to the event, while students from Fukushima University participated as volunteer staff.
In addition to the LFA test drive, the participants had opportunities to experience the pinnacle of Japanese manufacturing technology by learning about braking technology in a patrol vehicle and observing the LFA’s bare chassis with exterior plating removed. In the afternoon, the venue was moved to TOYO SYSTEM head office, where Mr. Haruhiko Tomohashi, the founder of TFA development, gave his speech. The students keenly listened to the secret episodes behind the development of the LFA. They were moved by Mr. Tomohashi’s message urging them to “Have lots of failures; have lots of disappointments; and overcome them all!”
This was the 3rd time that this event was held. Among the students who participated in past events, some have gained employment with Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd and auto-related employers. We hope that providing extraordinary experiences to students who are coming to an important juncture in deciding their own futures will give them opportunities to form their own dreams. We will continue to hold events for the students who will drive the future of Fukushima Prefecture.

We staged the 2nd Lexus LFA Test Drive Event under cloudy skies on June 8, 2013 (Saturday). This year, we invited approximately 150 students, 50 more than last year, with the intention of giving more children the opportunity to experience the wonder of Japanese manufacturing.
Again, Toyota Motor Corporation lent 4 LFA cars, a bare LFA chassis with exterior plating removed, and 11 staff members including professional drivers and LFA development and sales personnel. Also, Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd once again let us use its test course (Ai-Ring) and braking technology education patrol vehicle, allowing the participants to experience ABS (antilock braking system) and view a vehicle equipped with Akebono Brake Industry’s products.
Through coming into contact with a super sports car that is rarely encountered, experiencing ABS, and learning about braking technology using the patrol vehicle, the children, who will obtain their own drivers licenses in future, had an opportunity to learn about car safety. Mr. Toshio Shimizu, a member of Fukushima Prefectural Assembly, made an appearance to express thanks to Toyota Motor Corporation and Akebono Brake Industry for providing this opportunity to give dreams and hopes to the children, and he also gave words of encouragement to the children.
This year, a talk show was held with participation from Mr. Akira Iida, who is the development driver for the Nürburgring-specification LFA and a racing driver who guided the LFA to becoming the class champion in the 2010 Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany, and Mr. Haruhiko Tomohashi, who is the inventor of the LFA. Ms. Yumi Yoshida, who is a car life essayist, cooperated in moderating the talk show.
The talk show was followed by an amazing driving performance by Mr. Iida. The children were unable to contain their wonder and excitement at his soft drift driving touch that made it seem as though the LFA were dancing.
The children who took part in the event expressed their impressions through comments such as, “I want to make soulful things”, “I want to become the kind of person who can overcome hardships without setting limitations on myself” and “I want to work hard so that I can contribute to Fukushima”. We feel that the event helped the children feel sufficient courage and hope to boldly face up to and hold onto their dreams in even the most challenging situations. Above all, we hope that some of these children will become human resources who can carry Fukushima in the future. We will continue to provide opportunities for imparting dreams, courage and hope to children from now on.

After moving the event to the test course of Akebono Brake Industry Co Ltd, the LFA test drive event was staged. Having the opportunity to ride in a car that few people ever get the chance to drive, the children’s expressions lit up with excitement.
Having test-driven the LFA, the children excitedly shared their impressions with each other as follows: “That was like nothing I’ve experienced before”, “I will never forget that experience”, “The raw power of the car’s sound was awesome”, “I hope I can link this experience to my future”, “I want to become an adult who can afford to buy a car like the LFA” and so on.
There was also a corner for learning about car risks and safety, where the children got to experience an antilock braking system (ABS) experiment, test-drive an electric car, and learn about the mechanism of braking. We feel that it is important for us adults to correctly pass on our experiences to children so that they can carry them forward into their future development.