Shoei is a Japanese company producing motorcycle helmets since 1958. Its roots go back to 1954 with the founding of Kamata Polyester Co., whose first helmets were produced primarily for use in the construction industry. Shoei's founder, Eitaro Kamata, began to produce helmets for the motorcycle racing sector and in 1960, the Tokyo factory began to produce the first motorcycle helmets to meet theJapanese Industrial Standard. In 1965, Honda Motor Co. adopted Shoei's helmets as their 'genuine' helmets, increasing their popularity and availability. The Shoei Safety Helmet Corp. was established in 1968, shortly after construction of the Ibaraki factory. The current Iwate factory was built in 1989. When inquired about the origins of the name, a Shoei representative replied the following: "Shoei is not an actual word and does not mean anything. In Japan the passage of time is marked in dynasties which are the lifetime of an emperor. When Shoei was started in 1959 they were in the Showa dynasty so the first three letter SHO were combined with the first two letters of the founders name Eitaro Kamata and resulted in the brand name." Despite their success, Shoei remains a relatively small company, with a workforce of under 500 people worldwide. Shoei provide helmets for numerous MotoGP riders. In the MotoGP class, Marc Márquez and Bradley Smith . In Moto2, Thomas Luthi and Mattia Pasini. In Moto3, Álex Márquez, the younger brother of Marc Márquez, and Arthur Sissis.
Helmets
Since the foundation of the company, all Shoei helmets have been designed and manufactured in Japan, although they are distributed and sold globally. Shoei was one of the first helmet manufacturers to introduce lightweight carbon-fibre helmets in the mid 1970s. Shoei's GRV helmet was the first helmet to use carbon fiber and Kevlar. Shoei also created the first coverless shield system and the Dual Liner Ventilation system. The flagship X-Spirit was introduced in 2003 and was promoted by Shoei as the most advanced helmet in the world, winning MCN's Product of the Year 2003 award in the clothing category. It was followed by further development and the introduction of the RF-1000 in 2004, and the later introduction of the X-Eleven. These helmets paved the way for the current RF-1200 and X-14 models. In September 2010 the QWEST was released, the successor of the RAID II, a top of the line sport touring helmet.
Shoei was a victim of the earthquake that struck Japan in 2011. Two factories named Iwate and Ibaraki were damaged and had to be restored. Its costs calculated on an accrual basis were estimated at around 63 million Yen.
