A short history of Sekine Industrial of Japan

March 19, 2021 Sekine Canada No Comments

Sekine of Japan: Timeline

1912 Chuzo Sekine from Tokyo began manufacturing bicycles in Arakawa. It was a small enterprise in Japan’s domestic market for some time.(http://www.virtualmanitoba.com/riverdale/Sekine/p1.html)
1918 Originally Arakawa Ward. Founded in 1918. (jitensha table of companies)
1923 The company was founded by Mr. Tadazo Sekine (bicycle sales business). (https://osampo2001.sakura.ne.jp/horo/jitensha1.html)
1923 Mr. Tadazo Sekine established a factory in Mikawashima-cho, Arakawa-ku and entered the manufacturing industry. (http://blog.livedoor.jp/cb50jx_honda/archives/51172689.html)
1923 Mr. Tadashi Sekine founded a bicycle sales business. (http://antiquescafe.blog114.fc2.com/blog-entry-197.html?sp)
1948 Established Sekine Factory Co., Ltd.
1950 Sekine Company received a Japanese Trade Industry Award. (http://www.virtualmanitoba.com/riverdale/Sekine/p1.html)
1951 The company name was changed to Sekine Bicycle Factory Co., Ltd. (https://osampo2001.sakura.ne.jp/horo/jitensha1.html )
1959 The factory was located in Mikawashima-cho, Arakawa-ku. see 1923.
1962 JIS certification. (http://www.virtualmanitoba.com/riverdale/Sekine/p1.html)
1971 The company name was changed to Sekine Industries Co., Ltd..
1973 April Sekine Canada Ltd. formed and partly owned by Sekine Industrial.
1980 Sekine Bicycle Co., Ltd., new company name in Japan.
1981 August Sekine Canada Ltd. in receivership.
1982 February participated in the management of Yamaguchi Bicycle. Since the capital of Sailor Pen Co., Ltd. was already in place, both Sekine and Yamaguchi will be headquartered in the Sailor office in Hasuda City. Sekine Cycle Co., Ltd. 411 Inuma, Hasuda City, Saitama Prefecture. ( https://osampo2001.sakura.ne.jp/horo/jitensha1.html)
1983 October. the company name was changed to Sanwa Bicycle Industry Co., Ltd.. A new sales company, Sekine Bicycle (later Sekine Cycle), was established (according to the “Bicycle Industry Yearbook”). (http://blog.livedoor.jp/cb50jx_honda/archives/51172689.html)
1992 Katakura divests Silk bicycles to Sanwa Bicycle. (http://www.silkcycle.com/diary/2005/11/post_4.html)
1997 November Sanwa factory closes. The Sanwa factory final day for employees was in November 1997. (http://www.silkcycle.com/diary/2005/11/post_4.html)
2008 March Sanwa Bicycle Industry bankruptcy. ( https://osampo2001.sakura.ne.jp/horo/jitensha1.html, https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/自転車メーカー一覧)

I have found several dates for the founding or formation of the Sekine Company, from 1912 to 1923. Since 1946 the name of the company has changed several times:

Sekine Factory Co., Ltd.
Sekine Bicycle Factory Co., Ltd .
Sekine Industries Co., Ltd.
Sekine Bicycle Co., Ltd..
Sanwa Bicycle Industry Co., Ltd., with Sekine Bicycle and later Sekine Cycle sales company.

The Sekine brand bicycles appear to have been popular in Japan up to the 1980s. They made all the standard models of bicycles for the Japanese market: utility, children’s, youth, landner, and the Boonbike.

In 1971 or 1972 Sekine began to export bicycles to Canada and the USA. Many of the export bicycle where different models from those for the Japanese market.

In 1973 Sekine Industrial joined a venture to build bicycles in North America. Sekine Canada was the name of the company. The Sekine Canada venture into North America failed at the end of 1981.
Did this failure bring about financial difficulties for Sekine Industrial in Japan?

In 1982, Sekine Bicycle is receiving capital from the Sailor Pen Company of Japan.