Reticent boss representative of Japan Inc

TOKYO: You're in for a surprise if you expect Toyota President Akio Toyoda to put on a show of authoritative "the-buck-stops-here" clout at today's congressional hearing on the automaker's massive recalls.

In harmony-loving Japan, company heads are rarely management professionals, and are picked more to be cheerleaders for the rank-and-file.

Toyoda, because of his bloodline as grandson of Toyota Motor Corp's founder, was groomed to play that morale-boosting role.