Mazda Museum – Hiroshima’s Hidden Gem
FREE, YET VERY EXCLUSIVE
Japan has a very rich automotive culture. Brands like Toyota, Honda, Suzuki or Mitsubishi are recognised by everyone, not to mention the insiders and automotive enthusiasts. The JDM market of heavily modified cars attracts thousands and point me those, who haven’t watched the Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift movie and weren’t astonished by the neon-lit, much lowered Supras and RX-7s passing underneath a truck trailer. But wait! Did someone say RX-8? Well, it’s time to speak about Mazda!
And what’s a better place to spark the discussion about this distinguished marque than Mazda Museum located at the company’s headquarters in Hiroshima? Touring Japan I couldn’t have missed this spot, but I need to be honest – there was also an element of luck involved in the process. The venue is open to visitors free of charge but only through organised tours. There are two per workday – a morning one in Japanese and one in the afternoon, this time in English. Beware! Spots are limited to circa forty per tour and to be on the safe side, make sure you book three months in advance. Here you go, an element of exclusivity included!
A POIGNANT HISTORY OF THE MARQUE
Many, myself included, do not know the intricate history of Mazda. The company originated in Hiroshima in the 1920 under Toyo Cork Kogyo Co. by Jujiro Matsuda, who was in his mid-forties at that time. Blacksmith by trade, he played a pivotal role when history devastated Japan with the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans. Narrowly escaping death himself, Matsuda immediately ordinated Mazda’s headquarters to become a makeshift city hall, hospital and public service centre.
Just four months after the tragedy Mazda restarted the production, focusing on their simple, yet efficient and crucial for rebuilding the city three-wheeler trucks – the Mazda-Go. This very basic, motorcycle-alike truck proved to fit the needs of the locals, in the end becoming one of the enabling factors for the economic recovery. Mazda’s strength and resilience was also instrumental in boosting the city morale and inspiring citizens to persevere and rebuild. Exemplary, if you ask me!
FROM A THREE-WHEELER TO LE MANS
And who would have thought that a company originating from such a truck and based in a city completely wiped out by the atomic bomb will fly to victory in one of the most important races of the times – the 24h of Le Mans. In June 1991, Mazda 787B was the only car entered by a Japanese manufacturer to race at La Sarthe. 362 laps later, the bolide piloted by Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler and Bertrand Gachot crossed the finish line as the first one, making history. Presented in a garage set-up, a replica car commemorates this, attracting visitors like magnets.
But there’s much more! My personal favourite, this time from the world of vintage motoring is the Mazda Cosmo Sport. An unusual classic sporting a very futuristic look remains a rare sight on the roads – there are only 480 left out of ca. 1200 ever made. How do I know so many details? At Mazda Museum, to help visitors understand the exhibits better, the tour guide enlightens the crowd with curious stories, focusing on rather unknown insights and design origins. You didn’t know that the iconic MX-5 ‘Miata’ front is inspired by a distinctive, Japanese dancing mask (nō-mask), did you?
What really made an impression on me was the picturesque line-up of the mass production vehicles, showing the evolution of Mazda’s offering. My heart was captivated by the 1960 Mazda R360 Coupe, being the brand’s first four-people vehicle, making the dream of car ownership a reality. First in another matter – now being the first four-door vehicle – was Mazda Carol 600. The finesse of its design is unparalleled, especially in the beautiful side profile. First time I saw one, and I am enamoured!
A PEEK INTO PRODUCTION – INSIDE AND OUT
After a well-structured and incredibly informative tour through history it was time for something special. As a bit more technical aspects of the museum intensified, presenting crash-testing and paint inspection processes, suddenly we entered an industrial walkway over the assembly line! Here we could see how the cars are produced, and our group had the privilege to witness a brand new CX-30 leaving the factory. Observing employees and machinery working as in a precise, Japanese watch was very impressive. And so was Mazda’s shipping port, visible just outside the window on the other side, with two ships moored and ready for loading.
But wait! Shipping port? Production line? I thought we were in a museum! The very unique aspect of Mazda Museum is its location. It sits deep within the factory’s enormous grounds and to get to it, you are driven with a Mazda bus, passing all the various departments – paint shop here, panels’ pressing over there. The traffic is filled with small tractors pulling racks with SkyActive assembly or small trailers stacked with exhaust or suspension parts. All of these roads are privately owned by Mazda, including the longest private bridge in Japan – the Toyo Ohashi Bridge. The only downside? No photos here, due to confidentiality reasons!
TWO-HOUR AUTOMOTIVE DREAM
After a quick stroll through concept designs cars, getting that insight into how the Japanese company’s future could look like, we reached the end. The visit at Mazda Museum simply passed in a blink of an eye. Sad that it’s over but exhilarated with the unique experience, everyone stopped by the store to before we bid the final farewell.
With newly purchased books, memorabilia and scale models of the vehicles admired at the museum, we once again were driven through the Toyo Ohashi Bridge, passed the Mazda Design centre and arrived where we started – at the reception of Mazda’s Headquarters. If you ask me, those doubtlessly were the best two hours in a car museum. Ever!
Text & Photos: Adam Pekala ©
