entertainment

Heart-warming father-daughter Toyota commercial moves Japanese viewers to tears

36 Comments
By Jamie Koide, RocketNews24

With a history that stretches back some three generations, Toyota is one of the most recognized car manufacturers around. The company offers numerous family friendly vehicles, and their newer models include additional features like “Safety Sense” automatic braking technology, all designed to keep passengers as safe as possible.

That may explain why Toyota decided to release this commercial, just in time for Father’s Day in Japan, which documents the many car journeys one father and daughter take together, from the day Dad brings his little girl home from the hospital right up until she has a child of her own.

The ad was met with an overwhelmingly positive response online, with over 5,000,000 views on YouTube alone, and many Japanese viewers were so moved to tears it made them promise to give ol’ dad a Father’s Day visit last June.

The video went viral, and many Japanese viewers took the time to comment and show appreciation for everything their own fathers have done for them.

“This is a wonderful, moving commercial.” “I always skip through commercials, but I watched this one until the very end. I was really moved.” “This’ll make you cry.” “What a great story.” “You’ll cry your eyes out.” “It makes me want to go visit my dad.” “This commercial really shows what raising a child is like.” “It moved me so much I can’t stop crying.”

Including this nugget of wisdom, which we all need to be reminded of sometimes: “It may seem like dads are a pain, but that’s just because they worry about their children.”

One of the commercial’s strongest points is that it is able to relate to something everyone around the world can understand without using any words.

Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- “I think I love you…”: Romantic confessions from around the world -- Nine reasons why Japanese men hesitate to say “I love you” -- The little test that’s blowing Japanese netizens’ minds

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36 Comments
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who put those onions here.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Well, that cost me half a box of Kleenex !

10 ( +11 / -1 )

That's fantastic. Beautiful.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Great commercial! I have twin daughters.. Going through some of that right now!

8 ( +10 / -2 )

As a parent and a daughter, I see both sides....pass the Kleenex, please.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Well, most of us with kids are officially in tears, thanks Toyota. I have a daughter and my husband is the best dad a girl could ask for. Can't wait to show him this video.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

This brings back some good memories of me and my daughter during our school/work commuting days back in the US. She's in college now. I can't wait to see her again.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

A good commercial!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

As a new father, I'm now officially choked up.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

What a lovely advert... I was going to say I can't believe the negative comments, but then I remembered this is JT, where photos of fluffy baby bunnies would be thumbed down or some such... So it's a sentimental advert... why not? Leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling and remembering the car brand... win win.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Sometimes it seems the real thing has passed just as quickly as the video. It brought back great memories.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

While a lot of Japanese commercials are completely nuts and have ZERO relevance to the product they are pumping, there are those that truly hit the mark, and this is one. Bravo!

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Of course it's cheesy and sentimental - really drilling away on the obvious there some of you.

But it's also tender and full of the bitter sweet of life. If you can't access that, well.....

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Warms my heart and tears my eyes.

I saw my relationship with my daughters in that commercial.

...and the first car I ever purchased was 1986 Celica that was six years old. Great car too.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

They need to do a version of the commercial for the US market showcasing various Toyota models sold in the USA over the years.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japanese really do seem to lap up the saccharine and the twee, but that commercial was remarkably restrained and tastefully done.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I think the most moving parts where when the daughter actually looked liked she kind of had the seatbelt on sometimes. It nearly brought a tear to my eye.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japanese commercials arethe best.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Wow, moving. I have a 22 year old son that we just bought a RAV4 for and this commercial touched me. We have been a Honda family but this is what he wanted. Great commercial. Go Toyota!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It didn't just tug at my heartstrings, it grabbed with both hands and gave a big yank. I loved the whole thing, but the very last scene popped my bubble. Why? Because otosan nearly rear-ended a car, and everybody was all smiles. A look of concern or relief would have fit better.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This made me sob so badly. It reminded me of my own childhood - sitting in my seat with my Papa digging for the toys I dropped when we stopped a a red light, the games we played on long drives to the coast or to the mountains and the fights we had when I was a stubborn teenager. Well-done, Toyota, you left me in a teary-eyed mess.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What's this? A positive story from Japan Today? Oh my goodness, perhaps there's hope for this site yet! Let me just go and read all the positive comments that I'm sure are... never mind.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Here is the US version of Toyota AD : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6uP6cykgo

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You know what would've been funny, at the end when the car stopped safely, the Takata airbag blew into the father's face face.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Good commercial, but the song is inappropriate.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Not too mention this is a rip-off of a Subaru ad in 2013, only Subaru's was less sugary sappy sweet:

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7oJe/subaru-forester-grew-up-in-the-backseat

And a Subaru ad from 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgWawUudLJ4

Subaru's are shorter, not melodramatic, and more importantly, made before Toyota's. I mean, if people cry at this commercial, heaven help you during a typical J-drama or a variety show where the talentos cry at anything.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

What a lovely ad. A nice level of emotion in it. After watching 1000s of Japanese ads everyday on TV it makes me wonder....where is the different cultures in "normal" ads though?

In Australia we have ads with asians in it.....lots of other cultures. But in Japan, it's still steryrotypical that it's just a asian/Japanese country.

Can't wait till it shows white/black/tan colored people in regular ads about regular life...for example a house ad....or something.

Just my 3cents.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Even though he loves her he zoned out and needed to be saved by the bell at the end. This video proves that humans should not be driving. A gunman kills a dozen people on the weekend and sparks outrage and calls for gun control but nobody blinks an eye when 400 die every Fourth of July weekend due to car crashes.

As for the commercial, Subaru's were much better

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Interesting looking at the history of kids riding in cars, child's carseats use of or lack of.

ANd that end bit of the 'daughter's' CM, where they smiled/laughed in a situation in which 99.9% of people would instead say 'Abunai! Chanto mae ni mite yo, baka! Moooo, itsumo atashi ni miteru de hen de sa!' (Watch out! Watch the road, you idiot. Jeez, you are always looking at me and I think that's strange!), or something like that.

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

Gag

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

As long as Toyota sells more cars, isn't it?

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

A couple of months ago there was a reality program about a father and daughter who had not met for 15 years BECAUSE she worked and lived in Tokyo!! And when the Tv brought them together, they bowed to each other, no hug, not even shaking hands, and started crying! I think such examples show love between father and daughter is a taboo in Japan (yes, you read it correctly) and such commercials use the excitement associated with showing that. My Japanese friends always are surprised to know my dad calls my sister every day or kisses her whenever they meet. You cannot have that in this country ...

-14 ( +2 / -16 )

No one does excessively sentimental schmaltz like Japan. I mean, I love a great drama, but not when the cheese is so thick.

-15 ( +3 / -18 )

What a farce.... I'm sorry but you walk the streets of Japan and no one steps up... sure maybe if a "foreigner" needs help, they'll step up and show compassion, but overall, if its not "in group", they're "outta luck". The Japanese seem to save their tears for TV and Commercials... made up stuff that they can cling to, to make them feel more human.... like American Movies. I know I'm cynical.... but the tears seem like they make the crying person feel better more than anything.

-18 ( +1 / -19 )

They missed the part where he is never there because he is too busy bowing to his boss, smoking, drinking, and 'hostessing'.

-19 ( +7 / -26 )

Nice, apart from the stupid Baby In Car stickers which should only be present when there is a baby in the car and removed when there is not.

-21 ( +2 / -23 )

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