Admiral, which once exerted influence on the world of sports by providing uniforms for the legendary England national team, first came to Japan, but this eastern island nation did not even have a professional soccer league. Nearly 50 years have passed since then. We trace the origins of the Admiral staff's passionate desire to "make as many people as possible aware of this traditional brand," which is still passed down today.
In 1977 in Japan
Admiral sales have begun
The historic British brand Admiral arrived in Japan, which was still a "barren land" for soccer at the time, in the late 1970s. It all started when Capital Industries, a company that manufactured and sold gym clothes and jerseys, obtained a license.
This was 16 years before the start of the J.League. There was no trace of the internet or satellite broadcasting, and the only sources of information about overseas soccer in Japan were soccer magazines and a weekly TV program called "Mitsubishi Diamond Soccer." While Admiral had already been in business for decades and enjoyed high recognition in Europe, it was completely unknown in Japan. The team at Capital Industries worked tirelessly to get as many young soccer players as possible aware of the brand born in England, the birthplace of soccer.
A brand that children look up to.
It is worn by strong schools, increasing its popularity.
At the time, there was no professional league in Japan, and high school soccer attracted more attention than the top category, the corporate league. The finals of the winter high school championships drew far more spectators than the corporate league matches. There were high school stars who carried the hopes of their hometowns and played under the admiring gaze of young soccer players. Let's get them to wear Admiral. That was the "strategy" to spread Admiral throughout Japan.
Sales staff traveled to schools across the country, attending numerous tournaments and continuing to lobby for Admiral to be adopted as team uniforms. They even produced commemorative Admiral uniforms featuring the names of all participating schools and sold them at the high school championship venue. Thanks to their efforts, the number of high school teams choosing Admiral uniforms gradually increased. They also began to be adopted as uniforms for national athletics teams and youth soccer teams. There is also evidence that in the 1980s, seven schools participating in the high school championship wore Admiral. In 1988, Chiba Prefecture's prestigious Funabashi Municipal High School wore Admiral uniforms, achieving the brilliant feat of winning the high school national championship and coming second in the high school championship.
Shadow stripe impact.
The innovative design creates a sensation.
At the time, Admiral's image was simple, rugged, and elegant, typical of a British brand. Admiral continued to make great strides while maintaining a style that was somewhat different from that of the widely established domestic manufacturers and the already well-known overseas manufacturers.
Admiral was the first in Japan to use "shadow stripes," which feature faint, shadow-like vertical stripes on the surface of the fabric. The stylish design, created by a brand that values tradition, shocked the soccer world at the time. The "pyramid shadow" that appeared later, which developed the stripes into a triangular pattern, also became popular.
He would observe famous tournaments such as the high school championships, gather information on what was cool and what fashion trends were, and incorporate that information into the designs of the following season's models. There is no doubt that this repetitive process has solidified Admiral's presence in Japan.
To pass on these genes to the future
