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Okamoto Corporation’s Transformation: From OEM Manufacturing to Brand Innovation
Commitment to Quality and Innovation: The Foundation of Market Leadership
Since its founding in 1934, Okamoto Corporation has been a dominant force in the sock industry, growing from a small family workshop in Koryo Town, Nara Prefecture, into a market leader producing over 300 million pairs of socks annually. Founder Kyutaro Okamoto initially operated out of his backyard with a focus on high quality and small-scale production, quickly establishing a strong reputation. Post-war demand for knitted goods surged in Japan, enabling Okamoto to expand its operations, incorporating as a formal company in 1948 and benefiting from GHQ-led economic democratization policies that bolstered its credibility.
To enhance competitiveness, Okamoto implemented a fully integrated production system in the 1950s, covering raw material selection, knitting, and sewing — a vertical integration approach that not only improved efficiency but also ensured product quality. By 1974, the company was officially renamed Okamoto Corporation, and in 1981, it introduced computerized knitting machines, boosting efficiency and securing international patents, further solidifying its technological leadership.
