Founder Profile
Kenichi Yamamoto
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Kenichi Yamamoto?
Kenichi Yamamoto is a founder of Mazda Motor Corporation, which was founded in 1920 with Jujiro Matsuda.
- Company founded
- Mazda Motor Corporation
- Founded
- 1920
- Co-founders
- Jujiro Matsuda
Background
Japanese automotive engineer.
Founding Story
Kenichi Yamamoto is widely considered the 'father of the rotary engine.' While not the original founder, he was the absolute driving engineering force that convinced Mazda to bet the entire company's survival on the highly experimental Wankel rotary engine in the 1960s, completely defining Mazda's unique, contrarian engineering culture for decades. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Kenichi Yamamoto. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- Mazda Investor Relations - Latest Results Highlights (FY March 2027 Q1 and FY March 2026) (Mazda Motor Corporation)
- Mazda FY March 2026 Financial Results Summary (May 12, 2026) (Mazda Motor Corporation)