Forgetting Why I Chose MAZDA
The other day, a patient asked me, “Is that a MAZDA you drive?” They were a fan of MAZDA’s engines. My immediate reply was: “Yeah, great value for the price!”
But a few days later, it hit me — that wasn’t why I chose MAZDA at all.
I was a bit shocked that I’d forgotten the real reason. (Ha!)
When I was buying my first new car, I came across a book that featured MAZDA’s philosophy. At the time, I was about to open my own clinic and thinking hard about what kind of treatment space I wanted to create and what values I wanted to deliver. That’s when I read Shu Yamaguchi’s book “Why Do the World’s Elites Cultivate Aesthetic Sensibility?” — and MAZDA’s story in it struck a deep chord.
I talked it over with my family and made the decision. Honestly, I’d never even looked at MAZDA before! (Ha!)
MAZDA’s Design Philosophy
The book described how MAZDA distilled Japan’s traditional sense of beauty into three words — movement, dignity, and allure — and created the design concept “SOUL OF MOTION” (Kodo).
What’s fascinating is that this concept doesn’t tell designers exactly what to create. Instead, it shares the values and lets each designer express them freely. A shared direction with individual creative freedom — that’s a beautiful way to work.
“Don’t Try to Be Liked — Try to Captivate”
Most companies rely on surveys and market research to design products that meet customer needs. But MAZDA doesn’t aim to create designs customers like — they aim to create designs that captivate customers.
Rather than “identify the problem and deliver the optimal solution,” MAZDA’s goal is to deliver emotion. This philosophy deeply resonated with me.
Treatment × Emotion
Every day, I work with people struggling with pain and discomfort. Of course, relieving symptoms is essential. But stopping there feels like missing something.
When pain eases, new possibilities open up:
– Trying something you’ve been wanting to do
– Meeting new people
– Feeling ready to step outside again
In those moments, there’s always an emotional shift — and that small surge of feeling is what deepens the true value of treatment.
Car as Art → Acupuncture as Art
MAZDA embraces the idea of “Car as Art” — seeing a vehicle not as a tool for transportation, but as something that moves people emotionally.
I’ve borrowed that idea (Ha!) and set my own goal: “Acupuncture as Art” — delivering not just treatment, but moments of genuine feeling.
Forgetting why I chose MAZDA was a bit of a shock. But remembering it gave me a chance to reconnect with my own values.
Why did I choose this? Why am I on this path?
Taking time to revisit those questions is like tuning up your life. In treatment, it’s the same — we look beyond symptoms to the person’s story and future. Easier said than done, of course… but that’s where real value is born.
Before You Visit…
Fair warning: our English is a work in progress! (Ha!)
But thanks to the magic of translation apps, we communicate just fine with patients from around the world.
Your body speaks a universal language — and that’s the one we’re fluent in.
