Mizuno Irons- A History
Most people are familiar with the sport of golf and how it works. Players drive around a green course, and try to get a white ball into the hole on the green in as few shots as possible. The fewer the shots one takes, the higher the score. What people may or may not realize is that the game has actually made significant changes over the years. There have not only been advances in the materials used to make the equipment, but the game has also been made accessible to just about anyone, from children to those who are handicapped. Because golf is not the most strenuous of sports physically, this allows any number of people to begin to play.
There is also a company that has helped with this effort. Mizuno Irons is a company that started their journey in Osaka, Japan, as a western sportswear provider. They sold things like baseballs and bats to the Japanese population. Their store was opened in 1906, and in 1907 Mizuno began to make made to order athletic ware. This includes uniforms for sports teams, and the like. Their store is also the first in Japan to sell ready to wear athletic clothing. In 1911, the company decided to start providing and producing sporting goods. By 1914, their first factory had opened. This allowed them to produce their own inventory. In 1916 the company was the first to call for making baseballs one standard size. In 1921 the company began to prepare for the manufacture and sale of their first golf club line. These first lines of clubs were known as “star line” and we put officially on sale in 1933. By 1935 the showroom was easily one of the largest show rooms dedicated to the sale of golf clubs.
In fact, in 1977 a set of golf clubs created by this company was inducted into the golf hall of fame here in the United States. By 1989, the company had established ties in the United Sates to supply some of the professional golfers who played in the United States at the time, such as Ryoken Kawagishi. By 1999 they had signed on to be the official sports ware provider for the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Most recently
in 2007 they were the official sports ware provider for the Japanese gymnastics team.
As you can see, Mizuno has a long history as a company, and they are still one of the premier suppliers of sports and athletic wear not only in Japan, but across the globe. They are also known for giving back to the community who helped grow their business. They have sponsored many sports events and have been especially active in the world of baseball as well as golf. Many of the people who help run the company have been presented with various honors for philanthropy, and the founder of the company was even inducted into the baseball hall of fame for his contribution to the advancement of the sport.