Shoei Co., Ltd (株式会社 Shoei) is a Japanese company specializing in motorsport helmets.
History
Shoei is a Japanese company producing motorcycle helmets since 1958.[2] Its roots go back to 1954 with the founding of Kamata Polyester Co., which mainly produced safety helmets for use in the construction industry.
Shoei's founder, Eitaro Kamata(鎌田栄太郎), was born to a Tokyo family that operated a traditional Japanese restaurant, Edogin,[3] and an inn, 'Kamata Ryokan', near Shimbashi Station. Honda Motor Co. was located in Hamamatsu, and its founder, Soichiro Honda, and test rider Kiyoshi Kawashima were inn regulars as they often had business to attend to in the capital. Thus, Eitaro got acquainted with Mr. Kawashima, who often arrived at the inn on a motorcycle, and admired Mr. Kawashima's style with a painted helmet.[4] Eitaro left the family business and started up a helmet factory; in 1960, Shoei's Tokyo factory to produce the first motorcycle helmets to meet the