Why Is Himeji Miura's Home Base?
All of Miura’s clubs are designed and hand-forged at the renowned Miura factory in Himeji, Japan. Part of the Kansai region, Himeji is widely known for being home to Himeji...
All of Miura’s clubs are designed and hand-forged at the renowned Miura factory in Himeji, Japan. Part of the Kansai region, Himeji is widely known for being home to Himeji Castle, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has stayed standing for over 400 years. Led by Katsuhiro Miura and his then 40 years of club forging experience, the first factory is where the humble dream of refining the club forging process began in Ichikawa in China Prefecture in 1983, where the Miura story really began. Just six years prior, Miura Giken had begun its manufacturing on soft carbon steel forged irons — before it was even known as Miura Giken.
Production needs had ramped up significantly as the Miura name and reputation grew, so Ichikawa was the answer for increased production capacity. The Ichikawa factory is where Miura’s forging division was established. Other equipment companies, upon learning the quality of product being produced by the Miura family, sought out Miura Giken for the production of their top models. Accordingly, there was little time to further develop the iconic Miura iron — until September 1994, when the Miura Giken brand was officially born.
Just three years later, in May 1997, Miura made its move to the current factory, which is closest to the ‘big’ city of Himeji (about a half hour train ride away). This move came with increased production capacity: both for Miura’s signature forged irons, and equipment for other companies. Specifically, Himeji is located in the Hyogo prefecture, as is the Miura factory, which can be found near the Amaji train station. Consequently, production for both ramped up, and the Miura Giken product selection continued to diversify and expand. It was the first time that both the forging and finishing processes happened under one roof, which meant that Miura-san could be hands-on with all facets of production at all times. With his ever-present quest for excellence, this ability to supervise and contribute proved vital. He no longer had to sacrifice club design for the finishing process.
In the 22 years in the Himeji factory, Miura has grown by leaps and bounds. The Himeji factory is the birthplace of all the new Miura clubs: reiterations upon past models, and representations of our never-ending quest for forging perfection. For these reasons, Himeji is very special to us. It’s become our home. And, it’s continued to serve our production needs, even as we’ve continued to expand and spread our name.
As Miura-san has taken on the role of Chairman and brought his two sons, Yoshitaka and Shinei, into the business, they continue to push for greater innovation in the club forging process within the Himeji factory. Mr. Miura can still be found in the Himeji factory on most days in the number one chair on the grinding line.
Production needs had ramped up significantly as the Miura name and reputation grew, so Ichikawa was the answer for increased production capacity. The Ichikawa factory is where Miura’s forging division was established. Other equipment companies, upon learning the quality of product being produced by the Miura family, sought out Miura Giken for the production of their top models. Accordingly, there was little time to further develop the iconic Miura iron — until September 1994, when the Miura Giken brand was officially born.
Just three years later, in May 1997, Miura made its move to the current factory, which is closest to the ‘big’ city of Himeji (about a half hour train ride away). This move came with increased production capacity: both for Miura’s signature forged irons, and equipment for other companies. Specifically, Himeji is located in the Hyogo prefecture, as is the Miura factory, which can be found near the Amaji train station. Consequently, production for both ramped up, and the Miura Giken product selection continued to diversify and expand. It was the first time that both the forging and finishing processes happened under one roof, which meant that Miura-san could be hands-on with all facets of production at all times. With his ever-present quest for excellence, this ability to supervise and contribute proved vital. He no longer had to sacrifice club design for the finishing process.
In the 22 years in the Himeji factory, Miura has grown by leaps and bounds. The Himeji factory is the birthplace of all the new Miura clubs: reiterations upon past models, and representations of our never-ending quest for forging perfection. For these reasons, Himeji is very special to us. It’s become our home. And, it’s continued to serve our production needs, even as we’ve continued to expand and spread our name.
As Miura-san has taken on the role of Chairman and brought his two sons, Yoshitaka and Shinei, into the business, they continue to push for greater innovation in the club forging process within the Himeji factory. Mr. Miura can still be found in the Himeji factory on most days in the number one chair on the grinding line.