INSPIRE

MAZDA DICTIONARY

Do you know the origin of the name Mazda? Ever heard the phrase “jinba ittai” and wondered what it means or how to pronounce it?

Enlighten yourself with our definitive guide to Mazda’s Japanese terminology.

HACHO 破調


Hacho is a “broken rhythm”. It’s a design technique employed by Mazda designers, to create an interior space that is both peaceful, yet uplifting. “It is a comfortable disturbance,” says interior designer Mai Utagawa. By carefully choosing materials that respond to changes in light, Mazda uses hacho to create a cabin design that is emotionally enriching. obogaćen emocijama.

HASHIRU YOROKOBI 走る歓び


This phrase describes the very soul of Mazda and means “Celebrate Driving”. It’s an ethos that applies to every Mazda from supermini to SUV to sports car, and is central to Mazda’s belief that cars are not merely transportation, they enrich the lives of their drivers and passengers.

 

 

 

 

JIN­BA IT­TAI 人馬一体


Translating as “horse and rider as one”, jinba-ittai refers to the intuitive connection between a Mazda and its driver. It is the cornerstone on which Mazda’s designers and engineers base their work on. The phrase was first coined during the development of the MX-5 Miata but applies to every Mazda model. If you feel this oneness between yourself and your car, if it responds exactly as you intend, then you will experience a comfortable, safe and enjoyable drive.

 

 

 

 

KAICHO 諧調


Kaicho or “harmony” is a philosophy that leads Mazda designers to choose a variety of materials and textures that really complement each other. “We want to have people feel the delicate, thorough, manual work applied,” says Utagawa. It’s this attention to detail that makes Mazda interiors so beautiful.

 

 

 

Kansei 感性

 

Kansei describes Mazda’s approach to engineering with emotion. It’s about connecting people to products by really considering their feelings during the design process. Kansei engineering plays a huge role at every touch point in a Mazda car from the way the door opens and shuts, to individual switches.

 

 

 

Kodo 魂動


Kodo is a Mazda-unique word that means “Soul of Motion”. It applies to the overall design philosophy introduced by Mazda’s head of design, Ikuo Maeda who says it “breathes life into metal because Mazda believes a car is more than just a means of transportation.” Kodo design’s intention is to create a soul-stirring emotional bond between the car and its driver.

 

 

 

 

Ma 間


Ma is the Japanese concept of negative space. It has been described as “the silence between the notes that make the music.” It’s not purely a minimalist aesthetic, rather it’s about giving emptiness a metaphysical purpose. For example, the clean lines and deliberately positioned objects in a traditional Japanese home emphasize the empty space around them. Mazda’s designers draw inspiration from ma, creating interior spaces of calm reflection.

 

 

Mazda マツダ

 

Mazda became the company name in 1984. Previously, the company was called Toyo Kogyo Co. Ltd, with Mazda as a brand name. It is derived from the first production vehicle, a three-wheeled truck called Mazda-Go (in Japanese, Go is a type or number). The truck was named after the company’s founder, Jujiro Matsuda, with the spelling inspired by Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of harmony, intelligence and wisdom, whose name has the same pronunciation. Key executives at Toyo Kogyo Co Ltd. interpreted Ahura Mazda as a symbol of the rise of automotive civilization and culture.

 

 

 

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