The beginning of the Brother Group dates back to 1908, when Kanekichi Yasui established a sewing machine repair business. Subsequently, Kanekichi's son, Masayoshi, took over the family business and began to develop a great ambition to manufacture sewing machines domestically within Japan to convert the import-based sewing machine industry into an export-based industry. He gained a foothold when he manufactured a chain-stitch sewing machine for the production of straw hats and successfully produced the first home sewing machine in 1932. Masayoshi then developed the equipment to manufacture sewing machines with Jitsuichi by themselves. This "independent development" has been inherited as Brother's DNA.
Chronology
| 1908 |
Kanekichi Yasui established YASUI SEWING MACHINE CO., the predecessor of BROTHER INDUSTRIES, LTD., in Nagoya. The Repair of sewing machines and production of sewing machine parts commenced.
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| 1926 | Kanekichi Yasui died in November 1925; YASUI SEWING MACHINE CO. was succeeded by his son, Masayoshi. The company name changed to YASUI BROTHER’S SEWING MACHINE CO., and a new sales outlet was set up on the main street in Temma-cho, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya. |
| 1928 |
Sho-san-shiki sewing machines (chain-stitch sewing machines used in the production of straw hats) under the BROTHER trademark launched.
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| 1932 |
Brother succeeded in the domestic production of Model 15 Type 70 home sewing machines (the first model of home sewing machines from Brother).
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| 1934 | YASUI BROTHERS’ SEWING MACHINE CO. reorganized to create NIPPON SEWING MACHINE MANUFACTURING CO. (later BROTHER INDUSTRIES, LTD.). |
| 1941 | BROTHER SEWING MACHINE SALES, LTD. (later BROTHER SALES, LTD.) established as a domestic sales company. |
| 1947 |
200 units of HA1 home straight-stitching sewing machines exported to Shanghai.
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