Company outlineHistory of Kawada Feather

History of Kawada Feather

Time of foundation 
-Starting as a Down & Feather merchant

Torakichi Kawada, the founder of Kawada Feather started “KAWADA Shop” for down & feather business near Sumida river of Kinshi-chou, Sumida-ku, Tokyo in 1891. Yasukichi Kawada succeeded its business from 1905. Junichiro Kawada was appointed as the person in charge in 1944.

Our business was interrupted due to World War II. After transferring to Takayama-city, Gifu, Junichiro Kawada could restart business in March 1946. We moved to Nagoya in 1949, and Kazunari Kawada was appointed as the responsible person in Nagoya in 1952.

 

Founding period
-Makes feather products popular in Japan

Kazunari Kawada established and registered Kawada Feather Co. Ltd. and became as CEO in 1963.
In the 60’s, Kawada Feather mainly produced feather decorations for hats, exported to USA, feather duster named “KEBATAKI” used to clean cars, and developed wing feather pen named as “HANETSUKIPEN”, sold in Tokyo Tower where was the best sightseeing spot for long time. Besides, Kawada Feather also provided fancy feather and its products used for acting or dancing scenes like the Takarazuka Theater.
Our orders also increased due to new products like the shawl for Japanese Kimono and the feather decoration, named “Marabou”.
We developed and started the production of “Hamaya”, which is known as one of good-luck articles in Japan, from 1972. Nowadays, We produce almost all of “Hamaya” in Japan.

 

Time of growth
-Advent of 1st Down boom

After 1970, Kazunari Kawada started purchasing down & feather in US under the request by trading company. In 1978, Kazunari started down & feather and down jacket business for business development. First of all, we started the raw material process and down jacket production. When down jacket boom came the next year, we started the mass production of down jackets and down comforters in Japan. Japan was called as the sewing factory in the world at that time.

After the first down jacket boom, Japanese began to know the high quality of down & feather. Especially from the winter of 1985, down comforters’ market began to grow up dramatically.

 

Time of Decision
-From Aichi prefecture to Mie prefecture

There were 3 down & feather factories in Nagoya city, which were in full operation with down & feather processing and down comforters’ production. We started to look for suitable water and climate to increase the difference of our production volume & new system, and process down & feather. The purpose was for next generation business and further market development.
Finally, we found the best place in Meiwa Cho, Mie Prefecture and started new factory construction in 1987.
Toshikatsu Kawada, the eldest son of Kazunari Kawada, who is skilled in machine design, devoted himself into the construction of Meiwa factory. Toshikatsu deeply understood the character and structure of down & feather, and then created machines based on his incomparable theory.
Also, Toshikatsu produced an extraordinarily unique processing Line using his developed machines. It can remove almost 100% dust and dander from down & feather.In 1990, at the memorable 100th anniversary of the company, we started to operate Meiwa factory with all of our expectations.

 

Time of maturity
-Discovery of a large amount of special water and climate for de-dusting

The processed down & feather in Meiwa factory was the most beautiful and safest quality ever. Meiwa would cover the production of the other two factories beside Nagoya main factory. However, there was a large quality gap in between Meiwa and Nagoya factory.
Four washing machines in Nagoya factory have the same volume with one production line in Meiwa factory. Because of the unexpected quality difference between Nagoya and Meiwa factory, we decided to stop the production in Nagoya factory immediately. We went through the first season by using the first line of Meiwa with two shifts. The setting for the second line in Meiwa was brought forward after that.
After we started to operate the first processing line, we established the second line, and then third line in 1997 to solve the waiting time for 3 months in the peak time. Even now, we advance the machine innovation and the factory automatization every year.
On the other hand, we still manufactured down comforters in the Nagoya factory. In 1991, we also built Automatic Down & Feather Filling Machines in Meiwa factory to start producing down comforters. After that, we realized that existing machine and equipment have the demerit and limitation to produce down comforters, so we started to develop the special machine with unique engineered. Now, we have new Full-Automatic down filling machines and facilities.
In 2007, Kazunari Kawada was appointed as the chairman of the board, and Toshikatsu Kawada was appointed as the representative director of Kawada Feather. We integrated all management function into Meiwa in 2011.

 

 

Timetable

1891 Torakichi Kawada, the founder of Kawada Feather, started business in Tokyo.
1905 Yasukichi Kawada took over the business.
1944.02 Junichiro Kawada became the person in charge.
1945.03 The business was interrupted due to WWII.
1946.03 Junichiro Kawada restarted business in Takayama, Gifu.
1949.10 We moved to Nagoya.
1952.05 Kazunari Kawada became the person in charge of Nagoya business after Junichiro Kawada went to Tokyo for further business development.
1963.07 Kawada Feather Co., Ltd. was incorporated and build the head quarter & factory in 3-31 Inagami-cho, Nakamura, Nagoya. Kazunari Kawada became the first CEO.
1966.04

We moved our head quarter & factory into Inanishi-cho, Nakamura, Nagoya.

1977.04 We moved the head quarter into 6-23 Honjindori, Nakamura, Nagoya, and started to process the raw material.
1978.05

We started to produce the first town-use down wear for skiing in Japan.

1979.05 We started to produce the down comforters in Jimokuji factory. The production of the down comforters achieved the speed of 100 pieces/8 hours. As the first down jacket boom was started, we started the mass production of the down wears.
1982.06

We moved the head quarter into 1-267 Namiki, Nakamura, Nagoya, and built the new office and processing factory. Simultaneously, we started to produce the down quilt in Honjin factory with a high production of the down quilts, 500 pieces/8 hours.

1984 We integrated the down comforters and quilts into Jimokuji factory and achieved its production of the down comforters, 300 pieces/8 hours.
1985.01 We participated in the heimtextil, international trade fair, in Germany.
1985 We moved down comforters into 1-204, Namiki, Nakamura, Nagoya (the second factory in Namiki), and achieved the production of the down comforters, 300 pieces/8 hours.
1986.07 We built the new distribution center in Minato-ku, Nagoya.
1987 We started to prepare Meiwa factory preparation.
1990.09 We built Meiwa factory in Meiwa-cho, Taki, Mie.
(certified by Animal Quarantine Bureau)
1991.02 We incorporated the joint-venture company, Suzhou Hetian Feather Products Co., Ltd. in Taicang-city, Jiangsu in China and then started the production.
1991.01 100 years anniversary of Kawada Feather Co., Ltd.
1991.01 We started to operate the largest line of the Full Auto-Washing and Cleaning Process of the Feather & Down in the world.
We increased the quality dramatically due to remove the dirt, dander and dust completely.
We achieved the production of 900 kg/8 hours.
1991.06 We built the second unit of the Automatic Down & Feather Filling Machine in Meiwa factory.
We achieved the production of down comforters, 250 pieces/8 hours.
1991.08 We set up the second full automatic down processing line in Meiwa factory.3600 kg/16 hours(2 shifts ×2 lines).
1992.08 We achieved unmanned operation for down and feather processing lines in Meiwa factory.
High down production 4,500 kg/24 hours.
1993.06 We added an automatic down & feather filling machine into Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 360 pieces/8 hours.
1994.06 We added an automatic down & feather filling machine into Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 470 pieces/8 hours.
1994.07 We extended Meiwa factory.
1994.08 We achieved unmanned operation of the fully automatic down processing line in Meiwa factory.
High down production 5,400 kg/24 hours.
1995.06 We added 2 automatic down & feather filling machines in Nagoya second factory.
Production of down comforters, 450 pieces/8 hours.
1996.05 We started automatic 24 hours down & feather filling line 1 & line 2 with no-man operation.
1996.06 We added 2 automatic down & feather filling machines and 5 automatic feather & down supplying silo machines in Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 600 pieces/8 hours.
1997.01 We dissolved the joint-venture and incorporated Suzhou Kawada Feather Products Co., Ltd.
1997.06 We established the Auto Cleaning and Metal Detector Line.
1997.10 We added an automatic down & feather filling machine in Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 700 pieces/8 hours.
1999.03 We started the production in Suzhou Kawada Feather Products Co., Ltd.
1999.05 We built the third unit of the automatic down & feather filling machine (no-man operation) in Meiwa factory.
High down production, 8,100 kg/24 hours.
1999.09 We added an automatic down & feather filling machine and 4 automatic down & feather supplying silo machines in Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 800 pieces/8 hours.
2001.12 We exteneded the factory in Suzhou and acquired ISO9001.
2002.05 We added a new automated warehouse in Meiwa factory.
2002.05 We added a new automated warehouse in Meiwa factory.
2004.08 We set up one set of the full-automatic down filling machine (v1) in Meiwa factory.
New designed fully automatic down filling machine is 80% higher production than old one.
Production of the down comforters, 1,000 pieces/8 hours.
2005.09 We set up new designed full-automatic down & feather filling machine (v2) in Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 1,200 pieces/8 hours.
2006.6 We set up new designed full-automatic down & feather filling machine (v3) 2 sets in Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 1,500 pieces/8 hours.
2007.03 We established Kawada Down Bedding Co., Ltd.
2007.05 Kazunari Kawada became the chairman of the board, and Toshikatsu Kawada became the CEO.
2007.06 We set up new designed full-automatic down & feather filling machine (v4) 2 sets in Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 1,800 pieces/8 hours.
2009.07 Our apparel department and Fujimae Distribution Center acquired ISO9001.
2010.11 We established DMS Co., Ltd. and Kawada Feather Sales Co., Ltd.
2010.12 Our apparel production control section in Japan got independent as Kawada Apparel Co., Ltd. and then moved to Meiwa.
2011.05 We moved the head quarter to 1-31 Kusanagi-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, and integrated the function to Meiwa factory.
2011.11 We set up new designed full-automatic down & feather filling machine (v5) 2 sets in Meiwa factory.
Production of down comforters, 2,000 pieces/8 hours.
2012.03 We established Kawada Holdings Co., Ltd.
2012.08 We started to operate DMS Co., Ltd. and Kawada Feather Sales Co., Ltd.
2012.09 We established Kawada Trading Co., Ltd.
2013.07 We merged Kawada Feather Co., Ltd. and Kawada Co., Ltd.
2018.05  We opened a branch of Kawada Feather Co., Ltd. in Nagoya.

 

Certification

1991.05 Authorized by Animal Quarantine Service
2000.01 Authorized ISO9002(quality management system)
2001.07 Authorized by Animal Quarantine Service
2003.07 Expanded ISO9001(quality management system)
2009.07 Expanded ISO9001 (Fujimae Distribution Center in Nagoya)
2010.09 Authorized OHSAS18001
(occupational safety and health management system)
2014.04 Authorized the traceability system, DOWN PASS Certification
2015.02 Authorized the traceability system, “EDFA” Certification
2016.08 Authorized J-QUALITY Certification (Japan Fashion Industry Council)
2017.07 Authorized as the down comforters reforming certified factory (Japan Down Products Corporative Association)
2019.11 Authorized J-TAS Certification(Japan Bedding Goods Association traceability system)
2021.4 Authorized ISO45001(Replacing OHSAS18001)

Contact us

Kawada Feather Co., Ltd.
〒515-0303
3255, Yamaoyodo, Meiwa-Cho, Taki-Gun, Mie

TEL : 0596-55-2431 / FAX : 0596-55-4156

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