Meet the 'superhuman' behind the perfect Lexus drive

As a child growing up, Shuichi Ozaki dreamt of becoming an F1 driver.

- By IRIS GONZALES

“When I was in elementary school, I first wanted to be an F1 driver because there were no F1 drivers in Japan yet and because I really loved cars,” Ozaki told The STAR in a briefing last month at the Toyota Shimoyama Technical Center in Toyota City, Japan.

But then, while dreaming of becoming an F1 driver, a Japanese race car driver, Satoru Nakajima beat him to it. Recalling this, Ozaki said in jest, “I was very jealous.”

Born and raised in Japan, Ozaki eventually found a job at automotive giant Toyota.

When he joined Toyota more than three decades ago, his goal was to become a motorcycle racer. He loved motorcycles more than cars, so his initial plan was to get hired, save money for three years, and quit to go racing.

By chance, the first division he was assigned to was the same division as a test driver, so there in that unit, he was intrigued and enthralled by the process, and he found it so interesting.

“And before I knew it, thirty years had passed,” Ozaki said in the interview.

A Lexus Takumi

Ozaki is one of Lexus' master craftsmen, or a Takumi. Unlike factory workers, the Takumi are artisans with a deep understanding of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.

He is consistently responsible for comprehensive vehicle performance evaluation since joining the company.

How exactly does one become a Takumi? Takumi master craftsmen, according to Lexus, combine dedication, finesse and expertise to become guardians of this artisan philosophy.

These craftsmen invest 10,000 hours to become an expert, and a further 60,000 hours are invested to become a Takumi master.

That would mean 25 to 30 years of work experience.