Investor support for Toyota Motor’s longtime leader, Akio Toyoda, sank to its lowest level since he took the helm as shareholders challenged the extent of control he exerts over the company. According to a filing released on Wednesday, 71.9 percent of shareholders supported renominating Mr. Toyoda as chairman of Toyota’s board. That met the threshold required for re-election, but it was the lowest level of support for him since at least 2010, after Mr. Toyoda’s first full year as chief executive. Ahead of Toyota’s shareholder meeting on Tuesday, The New York Times reported that several big investors planned to vote against Mr. Toyoda’s reappointment. Traditionally in Japan, board members receive nearly unanimous support from shareholders, and Mr. Toyoda, whose grandfather founded the company, has gotten an average approval of more than 96 percent over the past decade.

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Persons: Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, Toyoda’s, Toyoda’s reappointment Organizations: Toyota, The New York Times Locations: Japan