Mr Kihachiro Onitsuka, one of the central figures of the global modern athletic and sport movement, and a man with a giant heart, who’s name graces our very favorite Onitsuka Tiger brand, passed away at the age of 89 this weekend.
His life story is an incredible inspiration. Out of the literal ashes of WW2, he set out to change the world for the better. Founder of the ASICS company, if you have not read about his life we can highly recommend it. In 1949, Ontisuka Co., Ltd. started by manufacturing basketball shoes in order to meet the needs of the nations rising basketball stars. The first shoes were designed with a recessed sole to simulate the action of an octopus’ suction cup. In the 1960’s, Mr. Onitsuka began marketing his shoes in the United States. And the rest is history.
Though he had reached the heights of the sporting world, he made time to participate in our Onitsuka Tiger Lovely Football campaign – jumping into the shoot at ASICS HQ in Kobe for a great cameo. You can see the spirit of the man every day in his company.
All of us who have worked with Mr. Onitsuka are saddened by the passing of this very great man. At the same time, we Frogs join his family and friends in celebrating his life and his tremendous positive life spirit which has been an inspiration for many of our team here at StrawberryFrog.
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