Koito Manufacturing

Lore & Background

Koito was founded on 1 April 1915 as the Genrokurō Koito Shop, which began producing and selling Fresnel lenses for railway signal lights. In April 1936, the company was reorganized as Koito Manufacturing Co. After World War II, it was re-established as Naigai Trading Co., Ltd. in September 1947, renamed to Koito Trading the following July, and then to Koito Industries in May 1957. That October, the company began producing glass-lensed sealed beam headlamps. Between 1971 and 1982, Koito began manufacturing various lighting products, including lights for small watercraft and automotive halogen lamps. In 1988, the company was listed on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. On 1 August 2011, Koito Industries became KI Holdings, spinning off all businesses besides airline seats as Koito Electric. In 2019, KI Holdings became a wholly owned subsidiary of Koito Manufacturing and was delisted; KI Holdings was absorbed into Koito Manufacturing in 2020.

Koito manufactured seats for commercial aircraft from 1959. In February 2010, the company received a business improvement recommendation from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport regarding its airline seats. The company was allegedly involved in a seat test falsification, with claims that they omitted part of a test process and used figures from past tests. Koito attributed their actions to 'heavy number of orders coming and tight scheduling.' Over 150,000 seats installed in over 1,000 Airbus and Boeing planes owned by 32 airlines in 24 countries were affected, causing delays to some aircraft deliveries such as All Nippon Airways' new Inspiration of Japan seats, particularly the premium economy seats. Before the scandal, Airbus had banned Koito from delivering seats manufactured for Airbus aircraft since September 2009 because of safety violations. As of July 2010, Boeing no longer allowed airlines to fit Koito seats in new aircraft.

Koito Manufacturing, alongside affiliated company Okayama Sangyo, manufactures seats for railway cars, including the dual seats on the Keio 5000 series and Tokyu 6020 series. Along with Morio Electric, Koito Manufacturing holds a large share of destination signage, master controllers and destination display devices for the railway industry. The company also manufactures interior LED lighting for trains and the 'Patto Vision' in-car information display. Koito produces many traffic lighting systems, such as signals and sign boards, and also manufactures appliances such as hand dryers, many of which are produced for Toto.

Reader's Guide

Koito Manufacturing's significance lies in its dual role as a long-established supplier of lighting and display systems for railways and outdoor installations, and as a former major manufacturer of aircraft seats whose reputation was severely damaged by a test falsification scandal. The company's history from 1915 as a maker of Fresnel lenses for railway signals shows a steady expansion into automotive headlamps, marine lights, and eventually airline seating. The 2010 scandal, involving the omission of test processes and use of past test figures, affected over 150,000 seats across more than 1,000 Airbus and Boeing aircraft operated by 32 airlines in 24 countries, leading to delivery delays and bans from both Airbus and Boeing. This event forced a corporate restructuring in 2011, spinning off the airline seat business into KI Holdings, which was later absorbed back into Koito Manufacturing in 2020. The company's legacy includes its continued dominance in railway equipment such as destination signage, master controllers, and interior LED lighting, as well as its production of traffic signals and hand dryers for Toto. The scandal remains a cautionary example of quality control failures in the aerospace supply chain.

Did You Know?

• The company began manufacturing glass-lensed sealed beam headlamps in October 1957.
• Over 150,000 airline seats in over 1,000 Airbus and Boeing planes were affected by a seat test falsification scandal that emerged in February 2010.
• Koito Manufacturing holds a large share of destination signage and master controllers for the railway industry, alongside Morio Electric.