Places

A serious collection tracing the automobile's global history from its 19th-century origins through to modern Japanese cars, not a brand showcase, spread across two buildings in Nagakute near Nagoya.

A free, guided tour through Mazda's own history at its Hiroshima headquarters, rotary engine included, with a window onto the live production line at the end. Booking ahead is essential, this isn't a walk-in exhibit.

Chronological hall tracing the global evolution of the motorcar from an 1886 Benz through Japanese classics, plus a gallery of motoring memorabilia.

Roughly 300 preserved Nissans (Skyline GT-Rs, Fairladys, Prince and works racers) in the old Zama plant, on free reservation-only guided tours.

Renovated on-site museum covering rotary history and Le Mans, ending with a walk alongside the live Ujina assembly line.

Three floors of Honda road cars, motorcycles and F1/MotoGP machines inside Mobility Resort Motegi.

Toyota's showcase of current tech and robotics, and the departure point for the free Motomachi and Takaoka assembly-plant tours.

Housed in Toyoda's original 1911 loom works, tracing the company's leap from textile machinery into automobiles with working demonstrations.

Enthusiast shrine to the Skyline lineage and its Prince Motor origins, from early cars to hakosuka and kenmeri GT-Rs.

Free reservation-only museum charting Suzuki from looms to Fronte, Jimny and current models, with a mock production line.

Corporate collection of Yamaha bikes, race machines and the rare Toyota 2000GT and OX99-11 engineering heritage.

Private vintage-car collection displayed across four 1920s red-brick warehouses on the Osaka waterfront.

Nissan's flagship brand gallery on the Ginza crossing, rotating current and concept cars with a café above the intersection.

One of Japan's largest private museums, around 500 domestic and foreign cars in a red-brick building.

Specialist Rolls-Royce and Bentley collection with an in-house restoration workshop, run by a renowned pre-war marque specialist.