KAWASAKI

On October 1st, 2021, Motorcycle & Engine Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. has become a new subsidiary company named Kawasaki Motors, Ltd.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. was established by Shozo Kawasaki and has its root in the start of the shipbuilding business with the philosophy “we shall contribute to the nation with technologies”. After that, under the management of the first president, Kojiro Matsukata, it grew up to be one of the major industrial groups of those days in Japan, that handled not only shipbuilding, but also manufacturing rolling stock and aircraft, shipping, steelmaking and the publication of a newspaper.

The motorcycle & engine business of Kawasaki was one of the business units that Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Ltd., which was incorporated after KHI spun off Aircraft Division, started by utilizing air craft engine manufacturing technology. In 1960, Kawasaki Aircraft Co., Ltd. aligned with Meguro Manufacturing Company which had been manufacturing large engine motorcycles since 1924, and they produced motorcycles like the W1 series and the Z series by integrating technologies they had. Our company is one of the motorcycle manufacturers that have the longest history if including that of Meguro and “Kawasaki” is recognized as a long-established brand in the world.

We made a big success by having moved into the US market since 1966 and built the brand status of “Kawasaki”. In 1972, we succeeded in sales with several excellent products like Z1 which was born by mutual cooperation between US and Japan, and also with sales promotions of the American style. Following year, we started PWC (Personal Watercraft) business as the first manufacturer in the industry. Further, in the next year 1974, we established the first US factory in Lincoln, Nebraska, as a Japanese vehicle manufacturer. Then in 1988, we added off-road four wheeler (MULE) business. The PWC and the off-road four wheeler are the products that Kawasaki launched earlier than any other brands in the world, and that pioneered the market.

What was used as the tag line just after Kawasaki moved into the US market was “Let the good times roll”. That phrase was an epoch-making advertisement suggesting a life style like “Let’s enjoy with a motorcycle”, not highlighting the performance of vehicles like maximum horsepower as a general manner, and has been used in our advertisement till now. Based on these facts, the mission of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. has been re-defined on “Let the good times roll” as “Working for the happiness and joy of all those whose lives Kawasaki touches”, namely, contribution to all the stakeholders.

And further, the River Mark that is the brand symbol of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. is designed from the shape of a Chinese character of “Kawa” and embodies the principle of our company’s establishment.
Our motorcycles never compromise in performance, needless to say, and also in being beautiful.
Shozo Kawasaki was famous as a collector of art objects and he built a museum in a space of his main house and disclosed his collection to the public. That fact and Matsukata Collection, that Kojiro Matsukata made, feel that pursuing beauty is one of Kawasaki’s DNA. This DNA is embodied in every single product, represented by a Kawasaki motorcycle.

We are facing the moment of the century level innovation like carbon neutral or automatic drive, but our company will try every possibility in order to provide all the stakeholders, including customers with happiness and joy, as a member of Kawasaki Heavy industries, Ltd. group, by realizing “Good Times Company” through innovative technologies, marketing and sales activities verified by tradition.