THE ROOTS OF MONOZUKURI: CREATIVE SPIRIT IN JAPANESE AUTOMAKING

For 60 years, Japanese cars have had a presence in the United States, having begun to challenge domestic market dominance in the 1970s. No American exhibit has adequately explored the associated synthesis of Eastern and Western automobile manufacturing philosophies and methods. Monozukuri (pronounced moh-noh ZOO-koo-ree) — interpreted as “the art, science, and craft of making things” — is a recently conceived but critical concept that explains these phenomena. Through carefully selected sets of automobiles, we illuminate key aspects of monozukuri, including creative engineering, craftsmanship, efficiency, endurance, and utility. Our publics will leave with a deeper understanding of how the Japanese automotive industry became a force to be  reckoned with, and why Japanese cars are now essential to American life.