Mazda Museum hits 2 million visitors since opening in Hiroshima in 1994

For car enthusiasts, Mazda's headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan is about more than cars rolling off an assembly line. It is also a place to see where the brand came from and how it has evolved.

The Mazda Museum, located in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, has now reached a major milestone, welcoming its two millionth visitor since opening in May 1994.

Reaching two million visitors is a reminder that car culture is about more than machinery. For Mazda, the museum is also a way of connecting its past with what comes next.

From one million to two million

The museum welcomed its one millionth visitor in October 2008, more than 14 years after it opened. The milestone visitor was a group of pupils and teachers from Kitagawa Elementary School in Kochi Prefecture, who received a scale model of the Mazda MX-5 to mark the occasion.

Mazda Museum welcomes its one millionth visitor

Fast forward to September 2026, and the two millionth visitors were 71 fifth-grade pupils from Ohkou Elementary School in Hiroshima. They were visiting the museum as part of a social studies field trip.

At the commemorative ceremony, Mazda president and CEO Masahiro Moro welcomed the milestone.

"Congratulations on becoming the Mazda Museum's 2 millionth visitors. I would be delighted if today's tour inspires you to think, 'Cars are cool' and 'Manufacturing is exciting'. This milestone of two million visitors has been made possible thanks to each and every guest who has visited the Mazda Museum over the years. Looking ahead, we will continue to cherish every opportunity to connect with our visitors and further enhance the museum as a place where people can experience the Mazda brand and its deep ties to the local community."

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Mazda Museum 2 Millionth Visitor Commemorative Ceremony

Mazda also presented Ohkou Elementary School with a 1:18-scale MAZDA ICONIC SP model, giving the pupils something to take back to school after their visit.

What makes Mazda Museum worth visiting?

The Mazda Museum is the only automotive museum in the Chugoku-Shikoku region, attracting around 70,000 visitors a year. It has also changed considerably since first opening, with major renovations carried out in 2005 and 2022.

From Mazda's beginnings to its future

The museum takes visitors through Mazda's history, from its early days to the company's plans for the future. The exhibits cover the development of the brand and its vehicles, giving longtime Mazda fans, car enthusiasts and overseas visitors a closer look at the company beyond its current line-up.

A closer look at the rotary engine

One of the museum's highlights is Mazda's rotary engine, which the company remains the only manufacturer to have put into mass production.

The exhibition traces the development of the rotary engine alongside Mazda's work on environmental technology and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Right next to the production line

For car enthusiasts, one of the most interesting parts of the visit is the chance to see the adjacent factory in operation.

Visitors can watch cars being built on the production line, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the manufacturing process that a conventional showroom simply cannot provide.

A place for school trips too

The museum is not just aimed at car enthusiasts. It has long been a popular destination for social studies field trips by schools in Japan.

More recently, Mazda has added hands-on activities such as casting workshops, giving younger visitors a chance to learn more about how cars are made.

Mazda's Hiroshima roots

From its opening in 1994 to its two millionth visitors today, the Mazda Museum has grown into more than a place to display the company's history.

It offers a glimpse into Hiroshima's long-standing monozukuri, or manufacturing culture, as well as the way Mazda sees its own place within the community.

The museum will continue to tell Mazda's story to visitors from Japan and around the world, keeping its history, engineering and approach to car-making in view for the next generation.

For anyone planning a trip to Japan and with an interest in cars, the Mazda Museum is an easy one to add to the itinerary — particularly if you want to see the brand's history alongside a real working production line.

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