Toyota to Enter Racing Kart Business

Jun 02, 2025 | News On Japan

AICHI, Jun 02, 2025 (News On Japan) - Toyota Motor has announced plans to enter the racing kart business, positioning the move as a strategic step toward preparing the next generation for the future of the automobile industry.

At the endurance race held at Fuji Speedway, Toyota once again fielded a vehicle powered by a hydrogen engine, with Chairman Akio Toyoda himself taking part as a driver. "Hydrogen engine vehicles have finally caught up with regular cars," Toyoda said, underscoring the company’s continued push for carbon-neutral mobility.

This year's event also saw several manufacturers using low-carbon gasoline in their race cars, highlighting the industry's accelerating shift toward decarbonization. At the venue, attendees were invited to test ride go-karts powered by carbon-neutral fuels.

The go-karts, designed as entry-level vehicles suitable even for children, are part of Toyota’s long-term initiative to inspire interest in cars and mobility from a young age.

"We want children to discover the joy of driving early on," said Naoaki Ito, the lead developer of Toyota’s new 'GR Kart' project. "That experience could shape their future—whether as mechanics, car dealers, or other roles in the automotive world."

Although the launch date has yet to be finalized, Toyota aims to offer the new kart at roughly a quarter of the price of existing models.

Source: TBS

Typhoon No. 18 Moves Past Okinawa, Strong Winds Persist

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was gradually moving away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands on August 26 after disrupting flights and bringing violent winds, rough seas and heavy rain, although Okinawa's main island and Amami Oshima remained at risk of sudden downpours, powerful gusts and waves exceeding 6 meters through around midday. As of 4 a.m. on August 26, the typhoon was located about 80 kilometers west-northwest of Okinoerabu Island and was moving west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour.

Mystery Deepens with 39 Kg Bread Trail Across Tottori

A series of mysterious illegal dumping incidents involving about 39 kilograms of sliced bread has been reported around Mount Daisen and other parts of Tottori Prefecture in August, with officials investigating whether the food may have been deliberately placed to attract wild animals.

Osaka Couple Donate 400 Million Yen for Giant Myaku-Myaku Statue at Expo Site

An 85-year-old couple have donated a combined 400 million yen to Osaka City with a request that the money be used to create a giant Myaku-Myaku statue about 20 meters tall at the former site of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, envisioning a landmark that could become a lasting symbol of the event and of renewed prosperity for Kansai and Japan.

Lawson to Cut Onigiri Prices by 10 Yen

Lawson plans to cut prices on its main line of onigiri rice balls by 10 yen from September 29 as falling rice prices begin to feed through to retail costs.

Taiji Boosts Security Against Anti-Whaling Activists

Police have established a temporary police post in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, ahead of the September 1 opening of the annual drive hunt for whales and dolphins.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sports NEWS

Scoop on National Goldfish Scooping Championship

Around 1,500 competitors from across Japan gathered in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, for the National Goldfish Scooping Championship, testing their skills in three-minute contests to determine the country's best goldfish scoopers.

Japan Team Holds Ceremony One Month Before Asian Games

Japan's delegation for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held a team formation ceremony at a hotel in Tokyo on August 19, exactly one month before the competition opens, with wrestler Akari Fujinami pledging that the athletes would "fight through to the very end" on home soil.

Asian Games Plans Evacuation Measures

Organizers of the Asian Games and Asian Para Games are preparing evacuation plans for athletes and officials staying in temporary container houses and a cruise ship at Nagoya Port, with around 20,000 participants and related personnel expected to visit Aichi Prefecture during the 23-day competition period beginning September 19.

Japan's Top High School Gamers Battle for National Esports Crown

STAGE:0, one of Japan's largest esports tournaments for high school students, has opened in Osaka, bringing together more than 2,000 teams from across the country to compete for the title of national champion.

Teqball Eyes Breakthrough at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

Teqball, a sport combining elements of soccer and table tennis, will make its Asian Games debut when the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games open in September, giving Japan's players a major opportunity to raise the profile of a discipline that has so far attracted relatively little attention domestically.

Alpen Flagship Store Opens in Osaka

Major sporting goods retailer Alpen is opening Alpen OSAKA, one of the largest sports and lifestyle stores in the Kansai region, at the former Uniqlo site in Osaka's Chayamachi district, with six floors offering everything from running shoes and golf equipment to hands-on product testing.

CDI and NYRA Create New 3-Year-Old Championship Series, Leaving Preakness S. Effectively Isolated

On August 3, 2026, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the launch of the "Thoroughbred Championship Series" to determine the top 3-year-old thoroughbred, starting next season, as reported by Sponichi Annex.

Cheerleader Balances Corporate Career

Wakana Uchikoshi, a 27-year-old recruitment professional at Ajinomoto AGF, has built a demanding but rewarding life that combines her weekday corporate career with twice-weekly practices as a cheerleader for a company-affiliated American football team.

< 2 3 4 5 >