Shozo Kawasaki founded Kawasaki Dockyard and the Shipyard in 1896. At age 60, having lost his own sons, entrusted the future of his company to Kojiro Matsukata whom he mentored.
Diverse Engineering Background: The company evolved from shipbuilding to manufacture trains, planes, and complex machinery before entering the motorcycle industry in the mid-20th century and has grown into a massive corporation known today for producing durable and powerful motorcycles along with other heavy industrial products. The artwork above combines his legacy as a maritime pioneer with the iconic motorcycles the brand is widely recognized for today.
We introduce our founder, Shozo Kawasaki; our first president, Kojiro Matsukata, who diversified the company’s operations; and our third pre
