Hiroshima Mazda Museum set to re-open in May

The Mazda Museum – attached to the Japanese carmaker’s Hiroshima headquarters – is to re-open at the end of May following an extensive renovation. The museum first opened its doors during one of its golden design eras in May 1994 and was last renovated in 2005.

Mazda is, once again, in a purple patch of design and the updated museum reflects that, with a “monotone colour scheme coupled with warm lighting and wood surfaces” to provide “an elegant and cosy space for visitors.” That could be the press release for an MX-30.

The museum’s ten different zones take visitors on a journey through Mazda’s 102-year history, starting with the Origin of Monotsukuri (car-making) spirit. The company was founded in 1920 by blacksmith Jujiro Matsuda and the first zone covers his life and the creation of the company.

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The zones work you through to the present day – including a comprehensive motorsport exhibit – and then in the final zone, a vision for the next century of Mazda.

No doubt there is a huge section devoted to Mazda’s most famous powerplant, the rotary and of course the wildly popular MX-5.

There is also a display covering the birth of the Mazda’s Autozam brand, which mostly re-badged Suzukis and sold under the kei car regulations and, briefly (if not bizarrely) imported Lancias to the Japanese market.

Other Mazda sub-brands include the company’s failed luxury division, known here as Eunos and badged elsewhere as Xedos and Amati.

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An entire zone is also devoted to car making that puts people first, which covers topics as diverse as safety and sustainability.

In addition to the museum, visitors can book factory tours, which have proved very popular over the years. Tours are currently only in Japanese, sadly, but the wording suggests that English may be an option.

To visit the museum, you can book up to six months in advance online and as the museum is not currently barrier-free, you may need to email if you have any wheelchair users with you.

The museum will open to the public on May 23, 2022.