Honda Welcome Plaza Aoyama, located on the first floor of Honda's Tokyo Aoyama Head Office Building, has nurtured connections with Honda fans and local residents for 39 years, taking shape from founder Soichiro Honda’s wish to make the plaza “a place open to society.”

The many memories created at the Welcome Plaza, such as new product launches, F1 machine exhibits, and ride-along experiences, testify to the deep ties between Honda and its fans. How has the plaza evolved beyond a mere corporate showroom? This issue of Honda Stories reconsiders the Welcome Plaza’s value by re-living a part of its history with people.

In the 1980s, Honda began local production of automobiles in U.S. and made great strides as a global company. During this period, in 1985, the Aoyama Building was completed as Honda’s global headquarters. The Welcome Plaza on the first floor of the Aoyama Building has served as a base for Honda to share information and interact with people through exhibitions and events of its wide range of products and advanced technologies, as well as through the operation of a café.

In the early days, the first floor space was planned to be used by tenants as a shopping space, with an emphasis on the facility’s profitability. But, Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda, and then Vice President Takeo Fujisawa opposed the idea, fearing that the inclusion of stores owned by other companies would be inconsistent with the philosophy and aspirations that Honda had put into the new building. The first floor space was opened as the “Welcome Plaza,” based on the concept of “a place to communicate products and corporate philosophy” and “a place of relaxation where anyone can feel free to visit.”

Soichiro’s desire to make the Welcome Plaza a place where anyone could freely visit was expressed in his words: “I want it to be a place where a noodle shop delivery staff can stop by on their way to their customers.”

This idea was also reflected in the unique structure of the Welcome Plaza entrance. In the original design, the columns in front of the entrance were shaped like Greek architecture, but Soichiro Honda rejected them, saying, “I don’t want a design that reminds me of a symbol of power.” The pillars were changed from cylinders to the current semi-circular shape.

The building opening faces the intersection of Gaien-Higashi-dori and Aoyama-dori avenues, and is designed to naturally lead visitors into the building. With no dedicated entrance/exit for employees, both employees and customers use the same entrance, showing the care taken to ensure that the place is always full of energy and vitality.

The Welcome Plaza’s main entrance is adorned by the Waigaya tree, which became the building’s new symbol since renovation in 2020. Waigaya is a unique Honda culture that has existed since the company’s founding, in which employees of all ages and positions engage in frank discussions about their dreams and the ideal form of work.

Honda employees are proud to say that this culture is at the root of many of the innovations Honda has introduced to the world.

The many plants on the Waigaya tree originate from dozens of countries around the world where Honda has production facilities. The different types of trees are rooted together to make each other stronger and create diversity, an embodiment of the Waigaya philosophy. The Waigaya tree expresses Honda’s desire to create better products through the synergy created by diversity, and has become the new symbol of Honda’s unchanging respect for DNA and diversity.

Welcome Plaza has been welcoming visitors and local residents by providing not only information on Honda products (motorcycles, automobiles, and power products), but on motor sports and its sales offices. Since its opening on August 19, 1985, the Welcome Plaza has been a beloved hub connecting Honda fans and the local community by displaying vehicles, providing visual information, and inviting residents to participate in events.

The Motorcycle Forum, a talk event launched in January 1986, was one of the signature events of Welcome Plaza, a gathering place for people who became fans through Honda’s philosophy and products, and has been held many times.

Topics covered were diverse, going beyond motorcycle technology, riding, and enjoyment, but also social themes. It was also a rare event that incorporated diverse perspectives, by inviting guests going beyond the scope of a manufacturer, from active grand prix riders and motor journalists to laboratory engineers, TV personalities, and university professors.

The Welcome Plaza also has a rich program linked to Honda’s racing activities, including public viewing of racing events such as the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race, which became a regular summer event from 1986 up to the present day, the F1 Japanese Grand Prix and the MotoGP World Championship, as well as exhibits of racing cars and bikes, and events featuring many famous drivers and riders.

In recent years, programs such as the NSX’s 30th anniversary, the Civic’s 50th anniversary, and the Next Generation Fuel Cell Systems exhibition have added to the lively atmosphere at the Welcome Plaza.

For Honda and F1 fans, one of the most memorable events held at the Welcome Plaza was the 1994 memorial ceremony for Ayrton Senna, one of F1’s most iconic and famous drivers. On May 1, Senna had passed away following a racing accident at the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy.

While motorsports fans from all over the world were speechless and in disbelief when they heard the tragic news, visitors started to arrive at the Welcome Plaza mere hours after the accident, to see if the news of tragedy in a distant land was real, or express their condolences for the F1 legend.

To accommodate the feelings of these fans, a signature book service was held at the Welcome Plaza, and as many as 80,000 people visited. In addition, many offered their deepest condolences in front of Senna’s beloved McLaren MP4/7A, powered by a Honda-developed engine, which was hastily displayed in the showroom. For the following week, the Welcome Plaza was filled with an endless stream of flowers.

Employees familiar with the Welcome Plaza at the time recalled that this occurrence showed that the plaza had been more than a showroom not only for Honda fans, but motorsports fans and many other customers.

The Welcome Plaza has continued to be loved by many customers and local residents. It is truly a space that has inherited founder Soichiro Honda’s desire to please all people, which lies at the foundation of Honda. As the catchphrase of the Aoyama Building closing event, "Until now, from now on, from here,” suggests, this space will return in the future in a form that will bring joy to many people.