ASICS has opened a dedicated production facility for its Onitsuka Tiger brand in the founder’s hometown, marking a strategic bet on the lifestyle label that has become the company’s most profitable segment with operating margins of 39 percent.
Japanese sporting goods maker ASICS has opened the Onitsuka Innovative Factory in Tottori prefecture, a dedicated facility for its premium Onitsuka Tiger brand that combines high-end production with a visitor experience designed to showcase Japanese craftsmanship.
The facility, which opened Jan. 15 in Sakaiminato – birthplace of ASICS founder Kihachiro Onitsuka – represents the company’s deepening commitment to a brand that has emerged as its most profitable segment. Onitsuka Tiger accounted for 15.9 percent of ASICS’ net sales in the first nine months of 2025, with an operating profit margin of 39.4 percent, nearly double the 20.4 percent reported for the company as a whole.
A mother factory for global craftsmanship standards
The new plant will primarily produce high-end collections including Nippon Made and The Onitsuka, premium lines that retail at significantly higher price points than mass-market sneakers. But its purpose extends beyond manufacturing.
“It will serve as the mother factory, unifying global manufacturing, systematizing craftsmanship and providing technical support and personnel development to partner factories worldwide,” said Ryoji Shoda, who oversees the Onitsuka Tiger brand, at the opening ceremony.
The facility aims to establish quality benchmarks and production techniques that typical overseas factories, optimized for volume production, would find difficult to replicate. ASICS plans to use the plant as a training ground for workers from its global supplier network and as a development center for new manufacturing processes.
From athletic heritage to lifestyle icon
Onitsuka Tiger traces its roots to 1949, when Kihachiro Onitsuka founded the company that would eventually become ASICS through a 1977 merger. The brand was reintroduced in 2002 as a lifestyle label, leveraging its athletic heritage and retro aesthetics.
The brand gained cultural visibility through its appearance in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” with Uma Thurman wearing distinctive black and yellow Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 sneakers. More recently, the Mexico 66 silhouette has become a trendsetter, benefiting from nostalgia-driven demand and growing global interest in Japanese fashion.
Strategic expansion beyond Japan
The new factory opening comes as ASICS accelerates Onitsuka Tiger’s global expansion. The brand opened a flagship store on Paris’ Champs-Élysées last year and has announced plans to return to North America as early as 2027. Collaborations with luxury labels including Givenchy and Comme des Garçons have elevated the brand’s positioning in premium fashion markets.
The brand’s sales are expected to reach 128 billion yen (€780m) this fiscal year, up 34 percent from the previous year. The company has raised its full-year revenue forecast to 800 billion yen (€4.9bn) and net profit to 90 billion yen (€548m), reflecting strong performance across both its performance running and lifestyle segments.
Beyond production, the facility incorporates a gallery displaying vintage shoes, explaining the company’s history and selling limited-edition items. The strategy positions the factory as a destination in Tottori prefecture, a region experiencing a tourism revival supported by growth in airline service and cruise ship arrivals.
ASICS Press Room, Jan 15, 2026
Onitsuka Tiger Launches Its First Dedicated Production Facility
