‘Omotenashi’: The Japanese spirit that drives Lexus
When Japanese carmaker Lexus debuted in the Philippines in 2009, it faced headwinds expected for a luxury brand trying to penetrate a predominantly middle-income country reeling from the effects of a global financial crunch.
That year, Lexus Manila sold just 172 units from its 4,000-square meter (sq m) showroom at the corner of 8th Avenue and 34th Street in BGC. Aptly so, the district was still developing into the upscale hub it is today.
“When we opened our first showroom […], Bonifacio Global City was rapidly transforming into a modern urban hub,” recalls Lexus Manila president Carlo Ablaza.
Fifteen years later, both BGC and Lexus have evolved in parallel. The brand has sold more than 12,000 vehicles in the Philippines, including 2,263 units in 2024 alone, cementing its position as the country’s bestselling luxury car marque.
For Ablaza, Lexus’ growth reflects a journey that not once veered far from the brand legacy—one built on the philosophy of “omotenashi,” or the Japanese spirit of hospitality that fulfills a guest’s needs before they are even expressed.
“I was part of the team that worked on bringing Lexus Manila to life. Our simple goal has always stayed true until today: It was to continue to provide luxury customers with high-quality, premium products and exceptional customer service,” he says.
Bigger and bolder
While it now sits in the driver’s seat of the premium car segment in the Philippines, Lexus Manila is showing no signs of stopping.
On Nov. 6, it unveiled the new Lexus Manila Gallery, an expansive three-level showroom in BGC, built to cater to Filipinos’ growing appetite for luxury and to keep pace with intensifying competition in the automotive market.
A stone’s throw from its first home, the state-of-the-art showroom on 8th Avenue, corner Col. Santos Street, covers approximately 10,000 sq m of floor area across its three levels and a roof deck. It was designed in collaboration with Casas + Architects.
True to omotenashi, every detail is designed with the guest in mind.
Lounges are fitted with premium massage chairs, a golf simulator and a bar serving Lexus’ signature coffee brews. A VIP room on the third floor features the rare Lexus LFA, the brand’s first supercar.
Beyond its premium aesthetics, the new space promises greater efficiency and comfort. It can accommodate more than 60 cars across its parking, service and stock areas.
The workshop now has 18 bays—up from 11 in the old showroom—including 14 for service and maintenance and two for car wash.
Ablaza says that as Lexus Manila opens a new chapter, it remains anchored to the same principles and values that guided its beginnings in 2009.
“[These] luxury amenities for our guests may be geared toward a more modern ways of today, but still very much rooted in the brand’s value, philosophies and heritage,” he says.
