Biz: Why is Toyota not called “Toyoda,” like its namesake?
- ten the number of brush strokes to write “Toyoda” in Japanese
- eight the number of brush strokes to write “Toyota” in comparison
- Why does this matter? Well, the number ten in Japanese resembles the plus sign, which apparently was seen as a bad omen due to the fact it also resembles crossroads. Also, “Toyota” sounds better than “Toyoda,” according to the company, which seems reasonable to us, kinda. Akio Toyoda feels shame on his company. 🙁 source