One of the highlights of our Japan trip in 2014 was our visit to the Mazda Hofu plant. We started from the hotel in Hiroshima in the morning and joined the English speaking guided tour at the Mazda head office, just 10 minutes from Hiroshima main station by local train. We saw the Mazda Museum and the Mazda production line at the Ujina plant, where my wife’s Mazda 2 (2008) was built. The production of that model was terminated shortly before we came and the line was not that full. (Mazda are having mixed production lines so many models are built at the same assembly line.)
In the afternoon we took the Shinkansen and after that a local train to the Hofu station in Yamaguchi, 1½ hours from Hiroshima, where we met with our interpreter Ms. Wada. We took a taxi to the Mazda Hofu plant, where we had managed to arrange for a private factory tour after the two other regular tours that day were full. The tour was in Japanese only, therefore the interpreter, and handled by Mr. Ozaki from Mazda. He spent in total 1½ hours with us starting in a classroom making presentations and taking questions. The highlight was a 45 minute tour on the walkway over the production floor where we could see most of the assembly stations for the new Mazda 2 and 3. At the end of the line we could see one car came out every 50 seconds, and a mechanic started it and drove it to testing.
At the end of the production line walk, we went outside and Mr. Ozaki drove us in his private Mazda MPV (yes all Mazda employees are only allowed to drive Mazda) around the factory area and we passed the neighboring plant where the new Mazda 6 came out, and where my Mazda 6 (2014) was built. We also passed the Mazda power plant and the big test track where selected cars were being tested.
When we came back to the class room we got some gifts and something to drink, and after that they arranged for a photo session at the reception where the above photo was taken. We met some other Mazda people that had taken care of another special tour. They were so nice to talk with and grateful that we had purchased their product. When the taxi finally came and drove off with Liselotte, me, Johannes and Ms. Wada, the Mazda staff lined up in their uniforms and bowed to us! That I have never tried before.
It was in every way a fantastic experience, and I will forever be grateful to Mazda. We sent some greeting cards and gifts to our contacts at Mazda, but they soon after sent some gifts also (a very nice die cast model of a Mazda 6 that I had mentioned to Mr. Ozaki). You can never win any politeness competition with Japanese people….
Thank you Mazda!
Note that this upload contains both stills and HD video.
All pictures and videos are taken with Sony DSC-HX9V and Sony DSC-RX100
AloJapan.com