Memorial Bench to Commemorate Yoshinari Matsushita at the Isle of Man

*A bench named ”Matchan Bench” was placed in Guthrie’s Memorial. The road on the right side of the picture is A18 Snaefell Mountain Road that connects Ramsey and Douglas and is also used for the Isle of Man TT Racing Course.

Memorial Bench placed in Guthrie’s Memorial

On the 27th May 2016, a memorial bench carved with the name of late Yoshinari Matsushita was placed in Guthrie’s Memorial located in the Isle of Man, Crown Dependencies.

*Final Match for the Isle of Man TT Senior Race. Three riders from France watched the race from the Matchan Bench.

Guthrie’s Memorial is located on the first half of the mountain course which runs through North to South of the Island where you can have a panoramic view of port Irish sea of Ramzay. It is located on the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road between 26th and 27th Milestone TT course.

The name of the place comes from the monument built in memory of Jimmy Guthrie, the racer that played an active part in the early Isle of Man TT races. The place where the bench is placed is a martial point when the TT race is being held but there is no parking lot near it so visitors have to take a 20 minute walk from the Goose Neck Parking Lot.

Matsushita was First Japanese Rider to Participate the Isle of Man TT Race

Matsushita was born on the 15th August 1969. He was a racing rider and was also known and as a motorcycle journalist. He wrote articles in motorcycle magazines and participated in amateur races held in Japan. In 2009 he accomplished his debut in the Isle of Man TT race and participated in races held in 2011 and 2012. He died at the age of 43 years old on 27th May 2013, in an accident that occurred at the qualifying round of the Isle of Man TT Race.

His cheerful personality was endeared by many people in and out of Japan. The place is still tribute with flowers from a lot of his fans living on the island.
The bench was placed here because Matsushita loved this location. The project to place the memorial bench started two years ago.

Following the Custom of the Isle of Man to Set a Memorial Bench of the Deceased

*The plate on the bench is carved with the words ”In Memory of Yoshinari Matsushita 1969-2013. He Loved Motorcycle, He Loved TT And All Of The Isle Of Man” together with Packman characters that decorated Matsushita’s helmet.

In Britain and the Isle of Man, there is a custom to set a memorial bench of the deceased and you can find them everywhere, in parks, squares and on roadsides. The benches are marked with the person’s name, date of birth and a short definition of what kind of person he or she was. Freelance writer Go Yamashita who attended Matsushita for the Isle of Man TT Races was interested in this custom and suggested the ”Matchan Bench Project’. The fee required was raised from donation.

To put the plan into practice Matsushita’s best friend Peter Callister who lives in the Isle of Man performed procedures to manufacture the bench and did his best to negotiate installation matters.
The bench was finished last spring. Negotiations were carried on between Callister and landowners of the Guthrie’s Memorial area which lead the project to incarnate. It was an amazing coincidence that the date the bench was finished was Matsushta’s Death Anniversary.

*The two Manx (Citizens of the Isle of Man) that did the best to put the ”Matchan Bench Project” into practice. On the left side is David, a woodcrafter that produced the bench. Not only did he produce the bench but also made the base as well. On the right is Peter Callister. One of Matsushita’s best friend who is a professional cameraman that shoots photos of the MotoGP other than the Isle of Man Race.

To Melt into the Scenery of the TT Race

Guthrie’s Memorial is located on the Isle of Man TT race course that features scenic views and white colored stone walls. You can watch the racers accelerating fully from the bench.
At the Isle of Man TT Race this year there were some people watching the race from the Matchan Memorial Bench. It passes on Matsushita’s feelings for the Isle of Man.

Original Source[Matchan Bench Project: Go Yamashita]