News

Society is changing, and with it, so is movement. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. hosted a special lecture titled “Mobility, Interesting Aspects of an Industry Undergoing groundbreaking revolution. Let’s Impact Society through New Technology”. To supplement the lecture, Honda hosted an exhibit showing off the new products with “mobility” as the focal point. On October 16^th, 2023, the Executive Vice President of Honda, Shinji Aoyama, and his team came to Waseda University. The word mobility is a word that Honda chose because the world is changing, and it has become even more clear that it is necessary to take steps to lower the environmental impact of Honda’s products. It is no longer just about powerful engines; Honda is working to create different environmentally friendly products focusing on carbon neutrality, the circulation of resources, energy management, AD (autonomous driving)/ ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), and connectedness with an emphasis on safety and the environment. Therefore, Honda implemented the use of the word mobility to convey the idea that they are creating a wide variety of products centering around movement. Honda has a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Likewise, Waseda University aims for carbon neutrality by 2032.

Honda’s F1 race cars

Executive Vice President Aoyama, Head of the Energy System Design Development Supervisory Unit Kosuke Oguri, and Head of Software Development Mahito Shikama delivered a special lecture on how Honda hopes to positively impact society through technological advancement. The three speakers broke down some of the developments and goals relating to each of their fields. Shinji Aoyama opened with Honda’s Global Brand Slogan “The Power of Dreams ― How we move you”. An apt slogan to open with at a university where many of the student attendees have big aspirations for their futures. He continued, explaining that Honda is a company that creates over 30,000,000 different units a year all over the world; therefore, it is important for Honda to be part of the creation of a better future for the planet. Honda was a company that started by making motorized bicycles and is now a company that has advanced to the point where it is making Formula 1 racing cars, aircraft, and a large variety of mobility-focused machines.

Executive Vice President Shinji Aoyama

Shinji Aoyama, Kosuke Oguri, and Mahito Shikama all three, talked in-depth about Honda’s place in society for the future. Shinji Aoyama went on the specifically talk about how Honda’s role in the world is to be a proponent of positive change in the future. They connected this idea to a common historical occurrence that as movement and energy changed, along with it the lifestyles of people all around the world changed. This is just one reason why Honda is working so hard to connect everyone, not only to mobility devices but also to each other. They emphasized that increased access to mobility would vastly change the lives of many people in the world. They presented a hypothetical example that if someone who lives in an area with less access to public transportation. With greater access to personal mobility, that person might be able to travel farther to reach a new job that opens a whole new world of opportunities for them.

Honda’s RC213V MotoGP super bike.

The concept of change was a recurring theme throughout the lectures, and Honda has been an essential part of change in the automotive industry. They mentioned the start of Honda, the start of engines, and the start of windows and explained where those inventions are today. Dreaming, imagination, and experimentation paved the path that Honda’s inventions took. The world is changing from fields of study separated into humanities vs. science to a society where there is more crossover between the two. The end goal for Honda is not only carbon neutrality and environmentally friendly products, but to also connect all people and technology together, including the connection of the ground, the sea, the air, and space.

Komatsu A machine powered by Honda’s new Mobile Power Pack.

Honda themselves do not know the perfect way to reach these goals; however, the company will continue testing new inventions and experimenting with new ideas. Even if they develop the next best thing, there is a high chance that it will become outdated within 40 years. Therefore, nothing is more important than to try and continue moving forward in the right direction. Honda is taking important steps forward into the future, yet they promised to not lose sight of the identity on which the company was built. When a student asked what area they refuse to lose to their competitors in and what they think the company is currently lagging behind in, the speakers from Honda emphatically stated that they refuse to lose when it comes to the power of the engine. However, they feel like they have some catching up to do when it comes to battery-powered vehicles, so they are working hard to develop this area further.

At the exhibits at both the Nishiwaseda and the Waseda campuses, Waseda was able to talk to a few students who came to view the machines. One student from Hawaii mentioned that they grew up around a community deeply invested in drift racing, and the community was greatly fond of Honda cars. The same student mentioned that they were a big fan of the Honda driver, Yuki Tunoda, because they were able to relate to being an Asian in Europe, and they were inspired by his success and aspiration. Another student, who is striving to be a driver for the Waseda Automobile Driving Club, mentioned that they thought it was important for universities to host events of this nature to spread information to all kinds of people. Through these events, you can find connections to new people or further your connections with your friends. This ties back into one of the key themes of the presentation given by the speakers from Honda, the emphasis on connectedness.

Honda’a F1 “Power Unit”

Several other students interviewed were interested in racing or cars, and one student was even interested in seeing the real-life application of the material that he studies at Waseda, which was the material used on the racing superbike displayed at the event. The reasons the students decided to visit the exhibit were many, but the consensus was that the machines were spectacular.

Waseda University has been actively invested in working together with Honda and related companies to develop automobile-related technology and research in leading-edge technology. For to purpose of assisting with the development, Waseda and Honda have made contributions in the following ways: joint research, guest lecturers, technological guidance, areas that contribute to society, and many other things.

In the 2010s, the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Daisho Lab and Jin Kusaka Lab worked on the research and development of purifying the exhaust from gasoline and diesel engines through contract research.

Also, throughout the 2010s, Honda Research Institute Japan Co., Ltd. and the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Professor Shigeki Sugano’s Research group set up corporate-sponsored research and lectures, to which HRI provided three visiting professors that contributed to joint research, gave lectures to graduate students, and provided research guidance.

Continuing into the 2020s, the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Professor Shigeru Wesugi, Professor Yutaka Ohta, Professor Chiharu Tokoro, Professor Yasushi Sekine, Professor Jin Kusaka, and others who are at the heart of the joint and contractual research through which many collectives have made great progress. Furthermore, Kunimichi Hatano (Sony Honda Mobility) has contributed to the graduate course “Automotive Engineering” led by Professor Kusaka as a part-time lecturer. Every year, Kunimichi gives lectures to close to 80 graduate students in design, merchandise tactics, automatic driving, and other recent topics.

Waseda University will continue to devote resources to projects that promise the betterment of society. Hosting events with mobility companies like Honda and others every year. Waseda University will also continue providing our students with opportunities to have direct interactions with companies and organizations to help them gather information and develop connections with their potential pros.

Shinji Aoyama

＜Director, Executive Vice President, and Representative Executive Officer＞

Date of Birth: December 25, 1963

Professional Experience:

April 1986 Joined Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

June 2007 President and Director, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Ltd.

April 2012 Operating Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

April 2013 Chief Officer, Motorcycle Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

June 2013 Operating Officer and Director, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

April 2017 Chief Officer, Regional Operations (Asia & Oceania), Honda Motor Co., Ltd.;

President and Director, Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

April 2019 Chief Officer, Regional Operations (North America), Honda Motor Co., Ltd.;

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Honda North America, Inc.;

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

June 2022 Chief Officer, Automobile Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

April 2023 Director, Executive Vice President and Representative Executive Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Chief Operating Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Risk Management Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Executive in Charge of Government and Industry Relations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.