TAKUMI

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS

They even hide faults and marks onto cars to ensure their workers reach this standard too. From the test drivers who are tested before the road test, to the room where future Takumi train their senses, these films will show why nothing is crafted like a Lexus.

BECOMING TAKUMI

It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in any given skill, 60,000 to become a Lexus Takumi Master Craftsman. It’s these Takumi that guarantee nothing is crafted like a Lexus.

At Lexus, a quarter of a century of practice is required to become a Takumi Master Craftsman. This extensive time is spent practicing and refining minute precision. The result is a group of superhuman Takumi Master Craftsmen with razor sharp senses. These ‘Takumi’ are the guardians of our craft at every stage of production. This approach to craft is a philosophy that runs throughout the business, which the Takumi are responsible for passing onto the new generations. Each Takumi will train their youngers to ensure that their expertise, their tradition, and the Takumi spirit develop in all the new talent. This is why we know that nothing is crafted like a Lexus.

TIME TO BE FLAWLESS

A Lexus Takumi Master Craftsman hides a mark on a car's paintwork, to test his team. No mark has ever made it past them, guaranteeing a flawless finish.

The craftsmen on the paint inspection line train for years to be able to spot the most infinitesimal flaw in the paint. To test the skills of the team, the Paint Takumi Master will place a flawed body onto the production line every single day. Not one flawed body has ever slipped past the team.

This practice is known as ‘guerrilla testing’ and is just one of the many ways that the craftsmen at Lexus constantly test and train their skills.

THE PERFECT ROAD TEST

To become a test driver, they themselves have to be test driven. This involves 2000 laps of training, over the course of 200 hours, driving the car over many different sorts of terrain, in order to hone their senses to detect errors. This training is led by a Takumi Master Craftsman, who pass on invaluable expertise while sitting with the drivers. The road test is one element of the final inspection process, in which every assessment is carried out by humans, in the knowledge that the next driver will be the car’s owner.

Each Lexus is road tested by certified test drivers whose senses have been honed over the course of 2000 laps. This enables them to detect the slightest deviation from perfection.

TRAINING THE SENSES

At the Lexus Tahara Plant there is a room where workers' skills and senses are honed to help them on their way to becoming a Takumi Master Craftsman. Improving skill and sharing knowledge are paramount in the journey to becoming a Lexus Takumi Master Craftsman. This dedicated room for training and education at the Lexus Tahara Plant enables workers to take lectures and complete speed and dexterity tasks to hone their skills and senses.

Training is important for both new recruits and to test workers at various stages of their career. There is even a special program for the older workers, to ensure their skills are continuing to be nurtured and developed.

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