TOYOTA CITY, Japan—Toyota Motor Corp.’s 50-year-old Tsutsumi assembly plant here has been the home of many innovations over the years. For several decades it has been considered to be ground zero for the company’s lean manufacturing efforts. The assembly plant has also has been producing the Prius hybrid since 2003.
Today, the Tsutsumi plant is the benchmark for Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050 initiative. The center piece is the new Biotope Tsutsumi, a 9,200-square foot green oasis that contains trees, plants, ponds and a waterfall.