Jaquie Brown discovers the art of Japanese design, and the luxurious new Mazda CX-80.
The Japanese know a thing or two about adapting with style to their country’s extreme seasons, a notion Jaquie Brown has experienced first-hand. It was searingly hot when the screenwriter and broadcaster visited Japan to explore the country’s design heritage, as well as discover the thinking behind Mazda’s much-anticipated CX-80.
Starting her trip in Tokyo, she was struck by its high temperatures. “It was the kind of heat that makes you concerned for your life,” she quips when she tells Viva about her trip. At first, she couldn’t understand why everyone in Tokyo was wearing floor-length jackets with high necks and long sleeves in the hot weather.
“Then I discovered the jackets have vents in them, so they were circulating cold air,” she laughs. “It’s so innovative.”
From Tokyo, Jaquie travelled to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen bullet train, in awe as the countryside flashed past at 320 km/h.
“Even the food that you can get at the train station is incredible,” says Jaquie. “All these beautiful little boxes of sushi, bento boxes, nothing like a packet of chips and an old sausage. And the train was so clean and so comfortable. There was a little QR code on the back of the seat and you just ordered what you wanted. Then a beautiful lady in a lovely uniform came and delivered you your fresh coffee or your cookies, your ice cream, or your sushi, or whatever. They asked you not to speak loudly or have your music on or take a phone call because you’ve got to be respectful of everybody else. And the toilets were so clean, a thing of beauty!”
When Jaquie stepped out of the train’s air-conditioning, the mercury soared towards 40 degrees. She was grateful to have picked up a very useful Japanese accessory, a specially designed ice pack. She wore it around her neck like a necklace and kept it in a hotel freezer between outings.
Jaquie could see the Japanese approach to considered design and innovation is exemplified in the new CX-80. She was given a sneak peek of the hybrid SUV 7-seater at the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima, where she met with Mazda’s chief designer, Akira Tamatani. The car itself was treated with the level of care the Japanese are famous for – the building all but cleared before the car was unveiled from under its covering.
“It was really revered and respected,” she says. “What struck me was that it’s not just a car. It was presented as a piece of art.”
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Advertise with NZME.As Tamatani-san explained, the textures and shapes in the CX-80′s softly lit interior were selected to enhance a driver’s appreciation of light, in keeping with the concept of ‘kaicho’, the highlighting of space, shape and material in perfect harmony. The idea of ‘hacho’, on the other hand, intentionally disrupts the harmony with accents, “to tighten or sharpen the aesthetic,” Jaquie explains. The designer impressed upon her the care and consideration behind the CX-80 and spoke of how the environment had inspired his work.
“He talked a lot about the Japanese respect for nature, and how the shifting seasons really play into his design: the way that the light falls, how the wind blows, how the humidity levels change in Japan based on the season. He took all those things into consideration when he was designing the new car, so people experience the car and its design emotionally.
“I felt my mind and my heart opening up because I genuinely had never considered a car in such an artistic and spiritual way.”
At the Mazda Museum Jaquie also got to see a collection of car designs from the 1920s through to “incredibly stylish Mazdas from the 70s” and more. Mazda has always put people at the forefront of its cars, and as the world has changed, this theme has continued into the latest models, including the forward-thinking CX-80 hybrid.
During her time in Hiroshima, Jaquie also visited the Children’s Peace Monument in Peace Memorial Park, now a place of reflection. There she hung orizuru (origami paper cranes), specially folded by the children of her Mazda New Zealand host. “It was really special,” Jaquie reflects.
Discover the new Mazda CX-80 at Mazda.co.nz or visit your local dealership to arrange a test-drive.
