Miyata

Miyata is a Japanese manufacturing brand best known for bicycles, but its history also includes firearms, motorcycles, automobiles, unicycles and fire extinguishers. The enterprise traces its origins to Eisuke Miyata, a Tokyo bowyer and engineer who produced rickshaw components and later operated a firearms workshop. In the late nineteenth century, the company repaired a foreign visitor’s bicycle, an experience that led it to begin bicycle production alongside its arms business. Miyata’s first bicycle prototype was built in 1890, reportedly using rifle-barrel tubing, and the company subsequently developed bicycles under the Miyata, Asahi and Pāson names. The bicycle business gained an early prestige boost when the company built a bicycle for Crown Prince Yoshihito, later Emperor Taishō, in 1892. Production was temporarily subordinated to military work during the First Sino-Japanese War, but changes in Japan’s rifle-import rules around 1900 weakened the firearms business. After Eisuke Miyata’s death that year, his son Eitarō redirected the enterprise toward bicycles. Miyata’s Asahi bicycles were purchased by the Imperial Japanese Army through the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. Miyata experimented with motor vehicles in the early twentieth century. It displayed an Asahi automobile in 1910 and produced an early Japanese motorcycle in 1913, although that initial motorcycle sold in very small numbers and was discontinued in 1916. The company returned to motorcycles in 1933 with the Asahi AA, widely described as Japan’s first mass-produced motorcycle. Approximately 40,000 AA motorcycles were produced between 1933 and 1939. Wartime materials shortages and the conversion of the Kamata plant to aircraft-component production ended this phase, although motorcycle production resumed after the Second World War. Miyata’s final motorcycles were made in 1964. Bicycles became the company’s enduring core. Miyata developed a reputation for carefully constructed steel frames and for manufacturing bicycles for other brands. The company claims pioneering use in Japan of flash-butt-welded frame tubes in 1946 and electrostatic paint application in 1950. Its later catalog included upright utility bicycles, touring bicycles, road and competition models, cross bicycles, tandems and high-end racing products. The numeric model system—covering ranges such as the 200, 300, 600, 700, 900 and 1000 series—became particularly recognizable in Japan and North America. Miyata bicycles sold in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s bike boom, competing with American, European and Japanese manufacturers and also producing bicycles for brands including Univega. Panasonic became Miyata’s largest shareholder in 1959 and retained that position until selling its remaining stake in 2008. Miyata also operated the Koga-Miyata joint venture with Dutch bicycle maker Koga; that relationship ended around 2010. Currency movements and the growing use of Taiwanese production reduced the competitiveness of Japanese-made bicycles in the late 1980s and contributed to Miyata’s withdrawal from U.S. distribution. In late 2011, the company announced plans to revive sales under a Miyata Japon identity, using hand-built chromoly frames produced at its Chigasaki facility and offering custom orders with Campagnolo components. The brand remains historically associated with durable Japanese steel bicycles, although its current global operating scope and ownership are not established by the supplied reference material.

Miyata began as a Tokyo workshop connected with bowyery, engineering and firearms. Eisuke Miyata opened a manufacturing operation in Kyōbashi in 1881, producing military firearms and naval knives. After engineers repaired a foreign visitor’s bicycle in 1889, bicycle repair and manufacturing became an additional activity. A new factory opened in Kikukawa in 1890, the year Eitarō Miyata built the first Miyata bicycle prototype. The company’s early bicycle reputation was strengthened by a 1892 commission for Crown Prince Yoshihito. Military demand temporarily took precedence during the First Sino-Japanese War. When Japan liberalized rifle imports in 1900, cheap foreign firearms damaged Miyata’s original business. Following Eisuke’s death, Eitarō shifted the company toward bicycle production. Asahi and Pāson bicycles became important product names, and the Imperial Japanese Army purchased Asahi bicycles through 1905. Miyata explored automobiles beginning in 1907 and exhibited a two-seat, air-cooled, two-cylinder Asahi automobile in 1910. It built an early all-Japanese motorcycle in 1913, drawing on a British Triumph design, but discontinued that model in 1916 after fewer than 40 units were sold. Motorcycle production resumed with the Asahi AA in 1933. The AA became a major milestone in Japanese industrial history as the country’s first mass-produced motorcycle. Production reached an estimated 40,000 units before wartime shortages and the 1939 conversion of the Kamata plant to aircraft-component work. After the war, Miyata produced several motorcycle families, including the HA and Golden Beam FA/2, but made its final motorcycles in 1964. Bicycles then became the company’s principal identity. Miyata developed steel-frame manufacturing techniques, claimed early Japanese use of flash-butt welding and electrostatic painting, and supplied bicycles for multiple labels. Panasonic became a significant shareholder in 1959 and eventually the largest shareholder, retaining its position until 2008. Miyata expanded internationally, particularly in the United States, where its steel road and touring bicycles were sold during the 1970s and 1980s cycling boom. Its model ranges used numerical designations, with products spanning entry-level, touring, sport-touring, competition and professional categories. The Miyata 1000 became especially respected among touring cyclists, while the 900-series and professional models represented the upper end of its road range. The company also manufactured bicycles associated with Univega and other brands. By the late 1980s, exchange-rate changes made Japanese production less competitive and encouraged sourcing from Taiwan. Miyata was no longer distributed in the United States by the period described in the reference material. It nevertheless maintained links with Europe through Koga-Miyata, a joint venture involving Dutch manufacturer Koga, until around 2010. In 2011, Miyata announced a return to its own Miyata Japon identity, emphasizing hand-built chromoly frames made at Chigasaki and custom configurations using Campagnolo components. The supplied material confirms the continuing existence of the brand but does not establish a complete current ownership structure, executive roster or worldwide distribution network.

• 2011

  Miyata Japon announced

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Miyata announced plans for hand-built custom chromoly bicycles under the Miyata Japon name.

• 2008

  Panasonic sells remaining stake

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Panasonic sold its remaining Miyata shareholding after decades of involvement.

• 1964

  Motorcycle production ends

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Miyata manufactured its last motorcycles, returning its focus to bicycles.

• 1959

  Panasonic becomes a shareholder

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Panasonic acquired a shareholding and later became Miyata’s largest shareholder.

• 1950

  Electrostatic painting adopted

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Miyata claims pioneering use of electrostatic painting in Japanese bicycle manufacturing.

• 1946

  Flash-butt-welded frame tubes claimed

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Miyata claims to have been the first Japanese bicycle maker to use flash-butt-welded frame tubes.

• 1933

  Asahi AA enters production

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  The Asahi AA became Japan’s first mass-produced motorcycle.

• 1913

  Early Asahi motorcycle produced

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Miyata produced an early all-Japanese motorcycle based on a British Triumph design.

• 1910

  Asahi automobile exhibited

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Miyata displayed a two-passenger Asahi automobile at a prefectural exhibition in Kansai.

• 1892

  Bicycle made for Crown Prince Yoshihito

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Miyata built a bicycle at the request of Crown Prince Yoshihito, later Emperor Taishō.

• 1890

  First Miyata bicycle prototype

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  A new Kikukawa factory opened and Eitarō Miyata built the company’s first bicycle prototype.

• 1881

  Miyata Manufacturing opens in Tokyo

  [1]Miyataen.wikipedia.org

  Eisuke Miyata opened a manufacturing operation in Kyōbashi producing firearms and other metal goods.

Japanese engineering and durable, technically constructed bicycles, especially lugged and butted steel touring, road and competition frames.

• Touring bicycle

  Miyata 1000

  A high-end touring bicycle associated with Miyata’s steel-frame period. It used splined, triple-butted chromoly tubing and was marketed in North America from the late 1970s until approximately 1993. The model became particularly respected among touring cyclists for its combination of frame construction, practicality and component specification.

• Touring bicycle

  Miyata 610

  A quality touring model positioned below the 1000 series. Mid-1980s versions used triple-butted splined chromoly tubing and were noted for a relatively high level of construction for their price. The model formed part of Miyata’s broad touring range sold in Japan and North America.

• Road bicycle

  Miyata 9xx

  The 9xx family represented Miyata’s high-end semi-professional road bicycles. Typical versions used quality Japanese steel frames and Shimano 600 or comparable components. Numeric suffixes often indicated gearing, although the naming convention varied by model year.

• Cross and hybrid bicycle

  Miyata Cross

  A family of cross-oriented bicycles including Alumicross, Quickcross, Sportcross, Civicross, Triplecross and Duplicross. Construction varied from bonded aluminum main tubes with chromoly forks to triple-butted chromoly frames. Duplicross was an oversize chromoly tandem produced during the early 1990s.

• Motorcycle · 1933

  Asahi AA

  Introduced in 1933, the Asahi AA was Miyata’s most important motorcycle. It is commonly identified as Japan’s first mass-produced motorcycle and achieved estimated production of about 40,000 units between 1933 and 1939, before wartime industrial conversion curtailed production.

• Professional road bicycle

  Miyata Pro and Team Miyata

  Miyata’s top professional and race-oriented bicycle lines, which used non-numeric names rather than the company’s standard series numbering. They occupied the upper end of the historical Miyata road-bike range.

• 2011

  Return to the Miyata Japon brandStrategy

  Background

  After the brand’s reduced presence in the United States and the end of the Koga-Miyata relationship, Miyata announced plans to renew sales under its own name.

  Action taken

  The company planned custom-ordered, hand-built chromoly frames made at its Chigasaki factory, with Campagnolo components and designs drawing on a Koga-Miyata frame associated with Peter Winnen’s 1981 Tour de France stage victory.

  Aftermath

  The supplied reference material does not provide later sales, production or distribution results.

  Source

• 1939

  Kamata plant converted for military aircraft componentsStrategy

  Background

  The outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War created shortages of materials needed for motorcycle production.

  Action taken

  The Japanese government converted Miyata’s Kamata facility to manufacture aircraft components.

  Aftermath

  Motorcycle production was interrupted until after the Second World War.

  Source

1. 1Miyataen.wikipedia.org