Yukiyasu Togo; Former Chairman of Toyota USA

Yukiyasu “Yuki” Togo, the former president and chairman of Torrance-based Toyota Motor Sales USA who steered Japanese funds to support Southern California charitable and cultural organizations, including purchasing a million-dollar pipe organ for the Disney Concert Hall now under construction, has died. He was 75.

Company officials in Torrance said Togo, who retired in 1993 but remained an advisor to the automobile company, died Saturday in Yokohama, Japan.

An unorthodox executive known for his sense of humor, Togo’s business cards featured his smiling face and the invitation, “Call me Yuki.”

He enthusiastically immersed himself in local culture wherever he worked. When he was assigned to Thailand, he shaved his head and entered a Buddhist monastery for two weeks. When he was transferred to Canada, he peddled cars door-to-door to find out why Toyota sales were so low.

Landing in Torrance in 1984, Togo wielded the company checkbook to make himself at home in Southern California.

“I’m always thinking that any business is based on human relations. So without understanding what they think, what they want, how can we do good business?” Togo told The Times in 1991.

A year earlier, he gave $1 million of Toyota funds to the city of Torrance, two of its hospitals and two community agencies, calling the donation a commitment “to supporting organizations that benefit our employees and the communities where we do business.”

Devoted to classical music, Togo joined the board of the Music Center and headed the board of the Japan America Symphony Assn. of Los Angeles. It was his suggestion that Toyota pay for the Disney Hall’s pipe organ.

Togo also worked to deal with racial and ethnic diversity. He guided Toyota’s funding of perpetual scholarships for the United Negro College Fund, with similar scholarships for Latinos.

Toyota officials credited Togo with increasing its new vehicle sales from 718,240 units in 1983 to more than 1 million cars and trucks by 1986.

In 1991 he was named to the World Trade Hall of Fame of the Greater Los Angeles World Trade Institute.

He also received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Award for his contribution toward strengthening the understanding between the people of the United States and Japan.

Togo served as a board member of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, the Japanese Business Assn. of Southern California, the Japan American Society of Southern California and the World Affairs Council of Los Angeles. He headed the board of the Ume Charity and was on the boards of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and Claremont Graduate School.

He is survived by his wife, Misako, two children and four grandchildren.