Over its long history, Honda has developed distinctive ways of thinking and working that remain alive in many aspects of its work today.

Two of these are “A00” (pronounced “A-zero-zero”) and “Waigaya.”

The A00 and Waigaya are not simply a set of rules for getting work done or a process for holding meetings.  Focusing on the concepts of A00 and Waigaya, two of the many elements of Honda corporate culture passed down over the years, this issue of Honda Stories will explore what Honda associates have long considered important in the way they work.

Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda.

With his strong personality and extraordinary creativity, Soichiro poured his ideas into making things and drove the company’s remarkable growth.

Yet, as the company grew and the range of its businesses and technologies expanded, the Honda Way developed as an approach to work that did not depend solely on the abilities of a single genius.

In 1973, Kiyoshi Kawashima succeeded Soichiro Honda as the company’s second president. He shared the following idea with Honda associates:

“Individually, we may not measure up to Soichiro Honda. But each of us should have at least one strength in which we can excel beyond Soichiro Honda. Let us bring those strengths together and do work that surpasses the achievements of a single genius.”

Rather than having one powerful leader provide the answers, people with different experiences, expertise and personalities bring their strengths together and create new answers as a team.

One aspect of Honda corporate culture that has played an important role in this way of working is Waigaya.

The word “Waigaya” comes from “waiwai gayagaya”, a unique Honda coined phrase (in Japanese) that represents the sound of many people talking energetically at the same time.

The word might suggest an informal get-together.

But Waigaya at Honda is more than simply talking freely or giving everyone a chance to voice an opinion.

“Why are we doing this in the first place?”
“What really matters?”
“Is there a better answer?”

Regardless of age, title, organization or area of expertise, a Waigaya involves associates seriously and openly exchanging their true thoughts. By thoroughly discussing an issue with people who see things from different perspectives, the participants discover things they could not see alone and deepen their thinking.

Another important aspect of Waigaya is that discussion is not the end goal. The team continues discussing until it gets to the very essence of things and ultimately reaches a direction together, with clear responsibilities for execution. Carrying the process through that far is what Honda means by Waigaya.

At the same time, simply bringing together people with different personalities does not automatically create greater strength.

If everyone heads in a different direction, those individual strengths cannot be brought together as one.

This is where the A00 is critical.

An A00 is not simply a goal or slogan. It puts into a very few words what the ultimate purpose that everyone on the team should be striving to achieve. It represents the ultimate purpose or essence of the work.

“Why are we doing this work in the first place?”
“What do we want to achieve through this work?”

All team members think through the answers to these questions, and continue pursuing them until the entire team is aligned and moving in the same direction.

That is why Honda associates have always devoted considerable effort to defining the A00 of the work they take on.

And Waigaya is also used to define the A00.

People with different experiences and expertise bring their perspectives into the discussion. Rather than rushing to decide “what to do” or “how to do it,” they repeatedly return to the question that comes before both: “why are we doing it?”

Through this process, the team defines its A00, with each individual understanding and sharing its meaning.

The A00 is most critical after the work begins.

It serves as the guiding principle when the team encounters obstacles, faces disagreements, considers interesting ideas that don’t meet the A00, or when a major decision is required.

“What were we trying to achieve in the first place?”

The team returns to the A00 and, if necessary, holds another Waigaya session to reconsider the approach, and talks things through again. In doing so, the team brings together the strengths of people with different personalities and perspectives and channels them toward the same direction. 

The term A00 originated during the development of the first-generation Civic in the early 1970s.

Multiple teams took on a single theme, freely developing proposals and discussing their ideas. Through repeated Waigaya sessions, they explored questions such as “What kind of challenge is this?” and “What are we trying to achieve?” until everyone shared the same understanding.

The “purpose and target requirements” established for product development through this process evolved into what is known today as the A00.

An A00 and Waigaya were not used only in the product development in the past.

Subsequently, they came to be used in a wide range of Honda projects. Today, they continue to be widely practiced not only in development but throughout Honda, adapted in ways that suit different types of work and circumstances.

The development of the all-new Prelude, launched in 2025, is one example. Tomoyuki Yamagami, who served as Large Project Leader (LPL), says the team established its A00 through repeated Waigaya sessions. Team members communicated with one another, developed a deep understanding of each other, discussed issues thoroughly and ultimately reached a direction. This intensely human-to-human, hands-on process remains very much alive in product development today.

Development of the Prelude involved members who have backgrounds in a wide range of technologies and areas of expertise, so disagreements inevitably arose.

At such times, the A00 provided the basis for making decisions. For example, the team had to agree on how to balance driving performance and fuel economy. Even when faced with questions that had no easy answer, the team returned to its A00—“What are we ultimately trying to achieve with this car?”—and continued discussing the issue until it reached a direction.

More than 75 years have passed since Honda was founded. Its businesses and technologies have changed dramatically, as have its associates and the ways in which they work.

Yet, certain things remain the same: each individual having their own will and ideas, engaging sincerely with people who think differently, sharing an understanding of “what we want to achieve”, and bringing individual strengths together to take on challenges that no one person could accomplish alone.

A00 and Waigaya offer a window into this enduring Honda Way of working.