Photos from Hiroshima

[samoht]

While living in Japan, I had the chance to visit Hiroshima.  This was almost a decade ago, however the memory stayed with me, and was part of the motivation behind my buying my first rotary last week.

The Mazda HQ is a large campus on the outskirts of the city, complete with its own high-speed banked test track (in the shape of a rotor, naturally).  You can\'t wander round on your own, but if you ring up and arrange some days in advance, then you can join a free guided tour.

There\'s a small exhibition of significant Mazdas:



I didn\'t (possibly couldn\'t) take photos, but we also got to see the production line.  At that time, in 2004, they were assembling RX-8s on the same assembly line as Mazda 3\'s, which I found astonishing given how utterly different they are.  I also noted a selection of competitor cars, including an E46 M3, lined up for evaluation at the test track.

I was running a Nissan Silvia (PS13) at that time, but some other guys turned up in an FD, and were enquiring of the guide when the next RX-7 would come out.  Despite my limited Japanese, I got the strong impression that the Mazda guys were as keen as we are to see a new RX-7, let\'s hope they once more manage to overcome the hurdles and make it possible.


Other pics of Hiroshima:

A festival


Megane-bashi, named not after a french family hatchback, but the Japanese word for glasses


On the river estuary there is an island, Itsukushima, with a famous temple that is built on the beach.  Due to typhoons, it has to be rebuilt every few years or so.







If you get the chance, I can recommend a trip to Hiroshima, it\'s a spacious, elegant city in a really nice setting, and there is the chance to visit the birthplace of our cars.

[Grant Monkhouse]

Looks amazing. Lucky you.

[samoht]

Incidentally, if anyone here has graduated uni in the last year or five and is interested, the JET programme application deadline is the end of November http://www.jet-uk.org/

(No Japanese language skills required, just a UK degree and English as a first language).

Basically the Japanese government pays you to go and teach in a school in Japan for a year.  I did this in 2003, and it was pretty much as awesome as it sounds.

[clive]

Many thanks for sharing, now you own a Rotary these pictures and memorys have obviously taken on a whole new meaning , have fun out there with your new toy

[fil_auto]

Lovely pics and and an amazing place to visit I imagine

[4packet]

I did a similar thing (including the Mazda factory tour and floating Tori) about a couple of years later than you. After finishing a 5 week stint in Tokyo, I jumped on the bullet train and visited Hiroshima and Kyoto.
 
Hiroshima was a breathe of fresh air after staying in Tokyo.

[Brett]

Great pictures