Tokaido (company)
Tokaido (東海堂, Tōkaidō) is a Japanese company that manufactures karate uniforms, belts, and related products. It is the world's oldest manufacturer of uniforms specifically for karate training, with a reputation for both high quality and high price. Tokaido is based in Tokyo, Japan, and is owned and operated by the Sugiura family.
History
Tokaido's founder, Shizuo Sugiura, was a martial arts enthusiast who would watch demonstrations and competitions of many Japanese martial arts. With time, he became increasingly interested in the art of karate. At the time, karate practitioners would simply use judo uniforms or other clothing for training.Judo emphasizes grappling, so training in that art typically requires a strong, heavy uniform; karate emphasizes striking, so training in that art does not require so heavy a uniform. Sugiura was already working in the clothing industry, and decided to combine his work with his interest in karate by producing uniforms specifically for karate training.
