Words: Richard Edwards
Published 5 July 2026
If you needed another excuse to hang onto that three-pedal car, science may have just delivered one.
Research from Japan suggests driving a manual transmission stimulates the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for memory, attention and decision-making, in a way that driving an automatic does not.
The claims come from Professor Ryuta Kawashima, a neuroscientist at Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer. Kawashima is a familiar name well beyond academic circles; he developed the science behind Nintendo’s hugely popular Brain Age puzzle games, built on the premise that the mind responds to exercise much like a muscle.
Speaking to Japanese outlet Best Car Web, Kawashima says driving a manual, whether in a car or on a motorcycle, “activates the prefrontal cortex of the brain”.
The logic is straightforward enough. Every gear change asks the driver to read road speed and traffic conditions, judge engine revs, work the clutch, select a gear by hand and meter the throttle, all at once. Keeping those inputs coordinated demands a level of engagement an automatic never asks for, and Kawashima’s research suggests that regular mental workload has a significant effect on maintaining cognitive function as we age. Some reports go as far as suggesting it could help stave off dementia.
There is a caveat worth noting. Kawashima’s comments reference his body of neuroimaging research rather than a single newly published paper, and several outlets covering the story note they have been unable to identify a specific study. Treat it as informed expert opinion rather than settled science.
The findings, such as they are, land at a poignant moment. In Japan, one of the world’s most rapidly ageing societies, manuals now account for just one to two percent of new vehicle sales, largely confined to budget kei vans and trucks. Mainstream staples like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic have gone hybrid and CVT-only in their home market, while the new Honda Prelude arrives automatic-only, complete with simulated gear changes to keep drivers feeling involved.
The picture is much the same in New Zealand, where the manual has all but vanished from new car price lists outside a handful of performance heroes and entry-level utes. For most Kiwi buyers, the choice has already been made for them.
Still, if you are one of the dwindling few who dailies a manual, take heart. That clutch leg is not just keeping you engaged with the drive. According to one of Japan’s best-known brain researchers, it might be keeping your mind sharp too.
