Kadoya was founded in Asakusa, the birthplace of ramen, in 1935, six years before the start of World War II.

When the store first opened, its name was "Kadoya Leather Clothing Store." It was a clothing store. In Asakusa, a town of craftsmen, there were many similar clothing stores operating at the time.

Asakusa, Tokyo, has long been home to many leather wholesalers and a bustling leather product manufacturing industry. How did Kadoya become a manufacturer known not only in Japan but also overseas in such a competitive environment in Asakusa?

Founder: Shojiro Fukano

From the beginning, Kadoya also repaired and re-dyed leather products. At the time, leather was a valuable material, and while making our own products, we often responded to requests such as "Please make tabi socks or leather jackets out of this leather" or "Please re-dye this leather jacket."

Even today, made-to-order products remain one of the main pillars of Kadoya, and the company accepts not only size adjustments but also customizations to suit the customer's preferences, because the idea of the late founder, Shojiro Fukano, that "leather should be remade to suit the customer's preferences" is still very much alive today.

Masajiro Fukano 1935 Showa 10

Founder Shojiro Fukano opens the Kadoya Leather Clothing Store in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Taking advantage of the location of Asakusa, the mecca of the leather industry, the company handles repairs, re-dyeing of leather products, and tailoring of leather clothing. "You can only gain the trust of your customers by meeting their needs," says Shojiro, a motorcycle enthusiast. The leather jackets he makes become popular, and before long, many riders with their own opinions gather at his shop.

The miracle of the 1930s

According to Rintaro Tanaka, a motorcycle jacket expert, leather jackets have a history of about 100 years. They are said to have originated in England, but they were first made for motorcycles in America in the 1930s.

This was around the same time that Kadoya was founded.

"My dad also liked motorcycles, and he often made leather jackets for motorcycles. Originally, we made any kind of leather product , but our store gained a reputation for being good at making leather jackets, and many riders started coming."

(Masataka Fukano, the eldest son of the late founder, Masajiro Fukano, and current chairman)

At the time, there were no textbooks on how to make leather jackets. Masajiro received many requests to repair and resize leather jackets surplus from the US military, so he learned how to make Western leather jackets.