20 Minutes With Motoichi Murakami
By Nicole Gleeson, Editorial Coordinator | TLT 20 Minutes September 2026
This researcher of automotive internal combustion engines discusses the importance of lubrication technology.
Motoichi Murakami - The Quick File
Motoichi Murakami joined Toyota Motor Corp. in 1987, and he spent many years engaged in tribology-related work for automotive internal combustion engines. In recent years, as a specialist engineer at The Research Association of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines (AICE), he has also supported Japan's research on internal combustion engine lubrication.
Motoichi Murakami
TLT: How did you get involved in tribology, and what attracted you to tribology?
Murakami: In my second year at Toyota Motor Corp., I was assigned responsibility for reducing piston friction in automotive internal combustion engines, and that was my first involvement with tribology. I became very interested in oil-film measurement and its predictive calculations.
TLT: What recent tribology topics are you focusing on especially in your industrial field?
Murakami: Ensuring the reliability of internal combustion engines running on carbon-neutral fuels. For example, one of the lubrication challenges for hydrogen engines is that they produce more water than conventional gasoline, and this water becomes mixed into the lubricant.
TLT: How do you think research and/or development will make a positive impact on society and the scientific community?
Murakami: I believe that advances in lubrication technologies, such as reducing friction in internal combustion engines, make a significant contribution to achieving carbon neutrality. The absolute effect of each individual technology is never large, but their ripple effects are substantial.
TLT: What are the biggest challenges you face in your research and/or development?
Murakami: Due to the shift to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the number of engineers and researchers working on tribology at automotive companies is declining. This is a major concern for maintaining the reliability of mechanical systems into the future.
TLT: Please give any suggestions or advice to young researchers and engineers.
Murakami: As long as mobility exists, tribology will be necessary. It is a discipline that will be needed indefinitely and is very profound, so I hope people take an interest and engage with it.
You can reach Motoichi Murakami at murakami@aice.or.jp.