Towards a new generation
“Soul of Motion” continues to evolve
In search of the truth of Japaneseness
Mazda's new challenge was unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. The MX-30 is Mazda's first mass-produced electric vehicle. For Mazda, which has declared that all models it produces by 2030 will be equipped with the electrification technology "e-SKYACTIV," it can be said that this is a car that heralds a new era. In 2019, without even waiting for the Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda's car lineup is entering a new generation called the 3th generation, starting with the MAZDA 7. At the same time, Mazda's design concept ``KODO: SOUL of MOTION'' has entered its second lap, and it is said that the design of this next generation KODO has been greatly influenced by Japanese aesthetic sense. Why did Mazda choose Japan as their theme? And what is the DNA of Japanese beauty that Mazda has discovered? We once again ask Ikuo Maeda, the founder of Kodo Design.
Mazda Design has won numerous awards around the world under the philosophy of KODO Design, but it is said that receiving high praise around the world triggered the next evolution. ``While talking with foreign journalists and designers, I realized that each brand is representative of its country.For example, German cars have a strong modern design style that originated from the Bauhaus.'' And the Volvo brand stands for Scandinavian design.If you think about Japanese design, it's so chaotic these days that you can't really see anything. If a style has to be given form, then Mazda should do it!''
What Maeda faced was the true nature of the aesthetic sense that the Japanese had cultivated. What I discovered in the rock garden of Ryoanji Temple is the beauty of "white space." I realized that behind the margins of the Karesansui created by drawing, there was an infinite amount of nature, and an invisible beauty that could be experienced with the heart. From “MAZDA DESIGN DESIGN BRANDING BUSINESS” by Nikkei Design/Junya Hirokawa, published by Nikkei BP.
As a Japanese car manufacturer, we wanted to adopt Japanese-style designs.To promote this kind of "Japanization," Maeda knocked on the door of the world of traditional crafts. Gyokusendo has been making hammered copperware (copperware made by hammering a single sheet of copper), which is an intangible cultural property, for over 200 years, and has maintained a technique called Takamori-e for over 170 years. He collaborated with lacquer artist Kinjo Ikkokusai VII and deepened his thoughts once again.
``Even though we pursue Japanese-ness, what we want to do is not do something superficial like using bamboo or shoji screens.We want to dig into the roots of Japanese aesthetics and connect them to the design of cars. The answer I arrived at was the act of "sharpening." The sense of tension that comes from cutting down to the bare minimum. Precision and elegance that emerge when you continue to create things without being satisfied with the status quo. There is beauty -- the word ``sharpen'' itself does not exist in English.''
Tamashii Doki (photo left) is a wine cooler made of hammered copper from Gyokusendo, with which Maeda collaborated in search of the best solution for the Japanese spirit, and Shiraito, an eggshell-carved lacquer box produced by Kinjo Ikkokusai VII. . Photography by © MAZDA
Someone who evokes emotion
Declare yourself as an artist
Become a trigger to blossom your talent
There was another thing that Maeda realized while interacting with genuine craftsmen. This is the high level of skill possessed by Mazda's clay modelers. Mazda has traditionally had many excellent clay modelers. He has an excellent ability to grasp three-dimensional objects, and sometimes exhibits creativity that surpasses that of designers. However, it is rare for these craftsmen to be evaluated within the corporate organization, and many of them smoldered their talent for a long time.
Maeda unleashed it. He overhauled the personnel system and gave outstanding modelers the executive title of ``takumi modeler.'' And he blasted them. "Everyone here is an artist. It doesn't matter who you make it. It doesn't matter what you make. Just make something that touches the viewer."
What Maeda initiated was that ``Mazda's manufacturing is an artistic activity.'' CAR AS ART. We will qualitatively transform car manufacturing from business-like "product development" to "creation of works" filled with ambition and passion. The unleashed craftsmanship demonstrated its full potential, and this atmosphere spread to the factory production site as well. How can this delicate curve be reproduced in a mass-produced car?Everyone in their respective departments began to focus on ART in order to give form to "beauty."
“I think the skills of today's modelers are several steps higher than those of previous modelers. That's because their goals have been raised. At the same time, the engineers in charge of production are also artists, and I think of them as colleagues who create things together. Beautiful things. We all have the same desire to create something, and that can only be achieved through the collective strength of the team."
In the struggle between the delicate sensations flowing between the hands and the clay, the modeler brings the shape to life. Photography by © MAZDA
Go beyond the image
Evolution of design deepens
To rise to another stage
The next generation of Kodo design, which advocates Japaneseization, culminated in the vision model "VISION COUPE" announced in the fall of 2017. We have done away with easy-to-understand designs and express texture only with the smooth form and the reflection of light. Its dignified elegance eloquently demonstrated that Kodo design is in the process of further evolution.
"VISION COUPE" has a smooth undulation that gives a sense of beauty and dynamism. Photography by © MAZDA
Maeda's work goes beyond just car design. At the same time as ``VISION COUPE,'' we worked on developing an original font. How can we encapsulate Mazda's uniqueness in the microcosm of letters and express the beauty of Japanese style? More than 10 members, including overseas designers, gathered and held a four-day training camp in Yamanashi just to create the font. ``What I wanted for the letters was the elegance that Mazda is aiming for.I wanted them to have a sense of stability and strength as a car manufacturer while adding a Japanese delicacy to that.Additionally, I wanted them to be written by hand. There was a warm feeling and a slight movement...'' It took more than a year to create the Mazda Type, which is now always used in official situations. ``We have created a character that is very similar to our car-making style, which coexists with a delicate, dignified expression and a slightly moving, glossy element,'' says Maeda with confidence.
Mazda Type is an original font developed by Mazda. In order to create a sense of stability, small adjustments have been made, such as shrinking the top of the letters and expanding the bottom. The aesthetic sense of KODO design pervades every single letter. Photography by © MAZDA
Recently, the MX-2019, which was unveiled for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show 30, also attracted a lot of attention. Not only is it Mazda's first mass-produced electric vehicle (EV), but it also offers a fresh KODO design that shakes up the existing image. ``MX-30'' is a work with a different message from previous ones. Regarding KODO design, while we continue to dig deeper like with VISION COUPE, I felt that we would not grow unless we did something completely different from what we had done before. Break the existing flow, discover something new, and bring it back to the mainstream. I think it would be nice if people could think of the MX-30 as a machine that is in the process of ``daring to expand in order to deepen.''
The MX-30 is Mazda's first mass-produced electric vehicle (EV). Although it seems to have a plain appearance, the perfection and beauty of the Kodo design cannot be overlooked. Cork, a natural material, is used for the tray and part of the door handle. A new face of Mazda that absorbs the atmosphere of the times and wants to enjoy being natural. Photography by © MAZDA
Impressive enough
honed
Designing a car with Japanese beauty
Maeda, who loves racing, handles the KODO design as if he were enjoying racing against rival cars. Lastly, we asked Mazda, an automobile manufacturer, why they are so particular about beauty. "One thing I can say is that ``beauty has an absolute value.'' It's perfection and precision. Some people say that there are only likes and dislikes in design, but I believe that there is an absolute value and that there is no hurdle to overcome. I believe that taste comes first.When Mazda pursues beauty, it means pursuing its absolute value.Works that exceed absolute value leave a lasting impression on people. I believe I have the power to do so.”
In 2020, Mazda will celebrate its 100th anniversary. "I think of 100 years as a milestone. What can we propose for the next 100 years? We want to respond through design." Maeda often participates in races on his days off. We continue to pursue the appeal of cars both on and off duty.
Currently, Mazda's corporate message is ``Run beautifully.'' In response, Maeda laughs and says, ``It's like a warning to us creators.'' Beauty = absolute value. Mazda Design continues to strive for far greater heights, and its stoic appearance itself seems to embody the finely honed beauty of Japan.
Ikuo Maeda
Mazda Motor Corporation Managing Executive Officer in charge of Design and Brand Style
Joined Toyo Kogyo (currently Mazda) in 1982. As chief designer, he worked on the rotary engine-equipped RX-2009 and the third-generation Demio, which won the World Car of the Year award. In 2016, he became the head of the design division. He launched the ``Kodo'' design concept that runs through the entire Mazda brand, and has won many design awards. XNUMX Managing Executive Officer in charge of design and brand style. His hobby is motorsports and he holds an international C-class license. His book is ``Design will change Japan: Recovering the Japanese aesthetic sense'' (Kobunsha Shinsho).
Text by Koji Shimizu
Stories
Japan Premium
MAZDA ~ Changing the world through design
Japan Premium
