SHERIDAN, WYOMING – August 4, 2025 – For many travelers landing in sunny Okinawa, the excitement of vacation used to meet a frustrating reality: long queues at the car rental desk. But those grueling two-hour-plus waits at Toyota Rent a Car’s Naha Airport Shop are now history, thanks to a behind-the-scenes revolution rooted in something very Toyota — the famed Toyota Production System (TPS).
From Factory Floors to Front Counters
The TPS, originally developed to streamline car manufacturing, has now become a secret ingredient in transforming how Toyota interacts with customers — especially at the dealership level. What started decades ago under the leadership of then sub-section manager Akio Toyoda has grown into a game-changing approach for everyday service experiences.
Through TPS, Toyota created a dedicated framework for retail operations called Toyota Sales Logistics (TSL). It applies the same mindset used in manufacturing — cutting waste, improving flow, and focusing on what truly matters to the customer — but in spaces like rental counters and showrooms.
Ten-Minute Turnaround: A Travel Win
Before implementing TSL, the Naha Airport Shop ranked lowest for customer satisfaction in its region. Now, after introducing TSL’s structured approach, the average wait time to pick up a rental car has dropped to just ten minutes.
That’s less time than it takes to order a coffee at a busy café.
This means:
- No more snaking lines out the door
- Tourists starting their vacations stress-free
- A dramatically improved first impression of Okinawa
Why This Matters for Everyday Drivers
It’s easy to forget that innovation isn’t always flashy. Sometimes it’s about the unseen — systems that just make life smoother.
For Toyota customers:
- Faster service = better travel experiences
- Less waiting = more value
- More efficient dealerships = better pricing and staff availability
And this isn’t just happening in Okinawa. All across Japan, Toyota dealerships are using TSL to make meaningful, on-the-ground changes that add up to happier, more loyal customers.
Kaizen in Real Life: Small Steps, Big Difference
Kaizen — the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement — is deeply embedded in Toyota culture. With TSL, dealerships are not only streamlining logistics but also freeing up capacity to serve customers in more flexible and personalized ways.
Some highlights from across Japan:
- Remote sales of used vehicles — making car buying easier for rural or busy families
- Improved scheduling systems — minimizing delays for maintenance and test drives
- More empowered staff — who now have more time to truly focus on service quality
A Glimpse into Toyota’s Future: The All-New RAV4
The latest episode of Toyota Times News also unveiled a sneak peek of the upcoming 2025 Toyota RAV4. Arriving six years after the last update, the new model breaks ground as Toyota’s first software-defined vehicle (SDV), powered by their new software platform “Arene.”
This isn't just another SUV refresh — it's Toyota stepping into the next era of mobility. With SDV architecture, features like safety, performance, and personalization will be software-enhanced over time, similar to how smartphones evolve with updates.
Even more, the unveiling had a charming hiccup: Toyota President Koji Sato had to ad-lib through a presentation glitch, showing once again that behind the world’s largest automaker is a very human team.
Editorial Extra: How TSL Benefits Compare to Traditional Dealership Models
Traditional Dealerships:
- Long queues
- Rigid service windows
- Manual paperwork
- Staff stretched thin
Toyota’s TSL-Driven Dealerships:
- 10-minute service flow
- Lean scheduling with real-time updates
- Digitized customer journey
- Empowered staff with customer-first mindset
Driving Home the Point
Toyota’s commitment to efficiency isn’t just about building better cars — it’s about delivering better experiences. From the beachside counters in Okinawa to high-tech showrooms in Tokyo, customers are feeling the change.
And as the RAV4 and future Toyota models go digital from the inside out, it’s clear that innovation at Toyota isn’t slowing down — it’s accelerating into every part of the journey.
Learn more and watch the full story at global.toyota/en