Japanese ministers on Friday welcomed Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda's decision to testify in U.S. congressional hearings.

The foreign and transport ministers hope Toyoda’s visit to the U.S. will help regain credibility for Toyota and Japanese products overseas.

[Katsuya Okada, Japanese Foreign Minister]:
"This is an issue that is related to the safety of an individual company, Toyota, but it is also about 'Made in Japan' products, well, although Toyota also has 'Made in USA' products, it's an issue that could affect the credibility of Japanese technology and products."

Akio Toyoda, who is also the grandson of Toyota’s founder, accepted an invitation to testify before a U.S. congressional panel next Wednesday.

Japan's transport minister said it was the right decision for Toyoda to make, but added it was regrettable that Toyoda has been reluctant to go to the U.S.

[Seiji Maehara, Japanese Transport Minister]:
"It's good that he has decided to accept (the invitation). But it's a shame there was flip-flopping on the decision. I believe they should have responded and fulfilled their accountability much earlier and since this is about people's safety, it's a manufacturer's responsibility to swiftly fix problems, if any."

Toyoda initially said that he'd send the company's North American chief, and that he had no plans to appear before the panel himself.

The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee invited Toyoda to the U.S. on Thursday, one month into the safety crisis.

Toyota has recalled more than six million vehicles in the U.S. market for problems involving the accelerator pedal becoming stuck, either by a loose floor mat or because of a glitch in the pedal assembly.