His First Car, a MAZDA3 Sedan: Why This Young Mazda Employee Chose Car Ownership Over Sharing Creating a Car-Loving Company with Car-Loving Employees Vol.1

It’s said that young people today are losing interest in cars, but a walk through Mazda’s offices reveals a different picture. At Mazda every employee has their own way of connecting with their car, their own story of what driving means to them. In this series we share these stories, following our car-loving employees from their first encounter with their beloved vehicle, to their vision for the future of a company that puts a love of cars at its heart.

Iseda poses for a photo in Onomichi. While his photography hobby often puts him behind the lens, he’s just as comfortable in front.

“Cars are not something I’ve grown up with,” says 24-year-old Naoki Iseda, now in his third year at Mazda.

“We had a car until I was around five or six, just before starting school, but my parents gave it up when we moved overseas. Then, when we returned to Japan three years later, my parents found they didn’t need a car and went without one until after I left for university.”

Born in Yokohama, Iseda spent most of his life without a car. It was not until he left his hometown, with its complex network of convenient public transport, to attend university in Hokkaido that his car story began.

A keen adventurer, Iseda planned to continue his travels after starting university but soon discovered that public transport in Sapporo, where his university was located, would not take him very far. To give himself more freedom to explore, he decided to get his driving license in his second year.

As Iseda explored Hokkaido with car sharing and rental services, he became increasingly interested in one car in particular: the MAZDA2 hatchback.

The Harunire Tree in Toyokoro-cho, Hokkaido. Iseda drove more than 200 kilometers from Sapporo through the brutal cold of -10℃ weather to capture this sunrise.

The starry sky above Mount Rishiri, the stratovolcano that forms Rishiri Island. Iseda took this photo on his first drive after passing his license.

“Hokkaido is full of open spaces. If you want to visit somewhere, you have to drive pretty far, over mountains and through all kinds of terrain. Mazda cars always felt easier to drive and less tiring too, so when I arrived at my destination, I still had plenty of energy left to have fun. And, I love the design of Mazda cars, they’re always a real thrill to drive.”

Inspired by these experiences, Iseda decided Mazda was where he wanted to be after graduating university.

When Iseda first joined Mazda, he planned to stick with car sharing and rental services.

But watching his fellow new hires buy their own cars, one after another, he started to change his mind. He saw how carefully his co-workers chose their vehicles, selecting cars that reflected their personalities and passion for driving. It was clear that owning a car brought them pure joy, and they were not shy about showing it.

Iseda began to see what owning a car could mean for his life, but something was holding him back from making the purchase. The final push came when he joined the support staff for Mazda’s employee race team at Mazda Fan Endurance in 2024.

Mazda Fan Endurance is an endurance race that invites participants to compete in their regular cars. It brings together Mazda fans, employees, and people from affiliated companies. Taking part in this event showed Iseda another side of colleagues. He watched their stern, serious expressions relax into laughter and smiles as they interacted with their own cars.

Mazda’s employee team at Mazda Fan Endurance.

The event brings together people from different departments to share the joy of driving.

“Being part of that event made me realize that I was missing out on something. I could see that owning a car brought its own sense of enjoyment, and I wanted to learn more about that and experience it for myself.”

No longer content with car shares or rentals, Iseda was ready to experience the special joy that only ownership can bring and discover what it truly means to drive a car that you own. After considering his options, he chose a MAZDA3 Sedan in Ceramic Metallic with black leather seats. The Ceramic Metallic was a must-have for Iseda—he fell in love with the lustrous finish which, depending on the light, could appear white or gray.

An evening drive in his own car. Light dances beautifully across the gleaming gray flanks, highlighting the signature movement that defines Mazda’s Kodo design.

To Iseda, his car is not just a means of transport. It’s a safe space to chat and share stories with friends on the way to their destination.

“There’s this idea of a ‘third place,’ somewhere outside of home and work where you can connect with others. That’s what my car is to me. I love how, in a car, conversations take place side by side, rather than face to face. It reminds me of sitting at an izakaya counter, where you’re close enough to have a deep conversation, but there’s still a comfortable space between you. It creates just the right level of comfort and closeness.”

Iseda chose a sedan over a fastback for a similar reason: the back windows open up the space, creating a more comfortable experience for passengers. When his car arrived at the dealership, he went to collect it with colleagues who had joined Mazda at the same time, and they all headed out for a drive around Onomachi.

Iseda takes a commemorative photo with his friends and his first car.

Iseda’s car on its first drive through Onomachi. He wanted to capture the sea view that reminded him of Hiroshima.

“If I was going to buy a car, I wanted one that could comfortably fit my friends and all our gear, so we could enjoy the drive and the destination. I really like how quiet it is when I’m driving. You can hear the conversations from the back, and music always sounds great.”

On a recent group trip to a mountain onsen, Iseda and his friends spent the journey listening to and discussing songs for an upcoming concert they were all going to. When he first drove to his parents, they were amazed at his purchase and proud at how much independent he had become. These new experiences and precious memories are thanks to his MAZDA3 Sedan, and many more await.

Iseda focuses on driving. He recently passed his manual transmission test and is now improving his shift-stick skills.

“Buying my own car made me realize that Mazda cars are not just for car experts, they’re for everyone. Mazda cars are quiet, easy to drive, and you don’t get tired on long distances. Even someone like me who doesn’t know much about cars can appreciate a vehicle like this. That’s exactly why I wanted to join Mazda’s PR department: I want more people to know this, and owning a car has only made that feeling stronger.”

Iseda currently works in the PR department, handling corporate communications.

“When you choose a car, performance is important. But a car is something you trust with your life, and you want to trust the company that produces it. In my department, we make our business information—from financial results, monthly production and sales figures, to community outreach activities—as accessible and clear as possible. We want people to understand who Mazda is as a company and, through that, build trust in us as a brand. My hope is that one day we’ll have customers who are attracted to Mazda cars not just because of performance, but because of what they’ve learned about us through our communications. That’s what motivates me every day to meet my goals in my role and do my best.”

Iseda captures the moment with a film camera. Owning a car has opened up new possibilities, including golf, a hobby he’s always wanted to pursue.

From the Editorial Team

Only a few years ago, electric scooters and car sharing seemed like just a fad. Now, they’re a part of our everyday lives. As generations change and sharing forms of transport becomes more common, perhaps the concept of owning a car will become a relic of the past.

You never forget the cars you’ve owned. Even if the same models are lined up in a row, your own car always seems to shine brighter. Owning a car is a special feeling and as an employee at Mazda, one of my goals is to communicate that feeling to the next generation.

The world is changing at an extraordinary pace. Car sharing, electrification, smart technology advancements, falling populations, rising costs. With a future so impossible to predict, how do young employees at Mazda see the future for cars? How do they plan to face the challenges ahead? Follow this series and learn how car-loving Mazda employees are working to create a car-loving company.