Jinba Ittai attempts to define the sensation of oneness between car and driver.

What is the Translation of Jinba Ittai

If you’ve been around Mazda for any length of time, then you’ve likely run into the term “Jinba Ittai.” It’s something that Mazda lives by and defines itself by. It’s an important term when it comes to understanding the spirit of Mazda vehicles, but what is the translation of Jinba Ittai?

It’s never easy to translate something directly from a language as complex as Japanese into one like English. So understanding Jinba Ittai takes some explanation.

You may often see the term translated as simply “Horse and Rider,” but it’s actually more complex than that. Jinba Ittai explains the connection or bond between the horse and its rider. It describes when horse and rider become one. Jinba Ittai embodies the idea of perfect harmony.

Where does the term Jinba Ittai come from?

Jinba Ittai comes from Japanese horse archery, where the horse and rider must be in harmony for the archer to accurately release his arrow. And just as the horse becomes a natural extension of the rider, so too should the car be an extension of the driver according to Mazda belief.

This philosophy is most popularly executed through the iconic Miata roadster. It’s a car that, despite all the changes in modern vehicles, has retained the spirit of driving purity.

The concept of Jinba Ittai is important to understanding what makes Mazda a truly special brand. So, check out the video below to hear it from someone who can explain it best, Takao Kijima, former program manager for the MX-5.

The passion portrayed in that video is incredible and will likely change the way you view driving forever. It’s why we love our Mazda models so much, and hopefully, learning what the translation of Jinba Ittai is has helped you fall in love with them too.

[Read more: How to correctly pronounce Mazda]