Why Does Toyota Hide a Lucky Number in Its Name?

Tim Ferriss says Toyota hides a lucky eight in its name. The founding family name was Toyoda, spelled with a D. The company name became Toyota because, written in katakana, Toyota takes eight pen strokes. Eight strokes are associated with wealth and good fortune, so the family name became a company name that carried those strokes. One of the biggest brands in the world still has that lucky eight hiding in the spelling.

Japan's eights go further back than the car company. The Shikoku pilgrimage is a circuit of 88 Buddhist temples associated with Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi. The temple count has its own religious history. Toyota is the case where a family changed its company name so the lucky stroke count would sit inside the brand.