History of JANOME. Sewing machines. Janome, Veritas, Pfaff Sewing machine janome manufacturer country

  • 07.05.2022

In 1921, Yosaku Oze founded his first firm. It was the first company in Japan to produce household sewing machines. It was called The Pine Sewing Machine.

Company Founder - Yosaku Oze

The very name of the brand Janome literally translated from Japanese means "snake's eye".

This name appeared in 1935, when the brand was founded. It was then that the round bobbin began to replace the traditional shuttle used in old sewing machines.

And because the new thread feed system reminded people of a snake's eye, the word Janome was chosen as the name of the company that has become today the largest manufacturer of sewing equipment.

And only in 1954 the company received the name by which we now know it Janome Sewing Co. Ltd.

Plants and machines

In 1936, Janome opened its first large factory for the mass production of sewing machines in Koganei, a suburb of Tokyo.

In 1948, the Sewing Machine Manufacturers Association was founded in Japan. In the same year, JANOME launches the first model of the HA-1 sewing machine, which meets all the new criteria and requirements.

In the 1950s, the design of machines became more and more perfect. In 1957, JANOME launched the first semi-automatic zigzag sewing machine, the Type 532. This model was produced in Japan and was the first model to be exported worldwide.

The Janome 560 sewing machine was the first automatic zigzag sewing machine produced in 1961. The machine could also perform buttonholes, sew on buttons, and a number of other sewing functions that were innovative for their time. Three years later, in 1964, the company founded the world's first research and development center for sewing machines in Tokyo. Since the establishment of the center, many excellent models of sewing machines have been developed, including the most modern ones with computer control.

In the same 1964, a special Janome sewing machine was produced in honor of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The model had a lighter weight and improved performance. At the same time, the company is building a modern office building for itself, where the headquarters is located to this day.


"Olympic" Janome

New countries and new opportunities

In 1960, Janome acquired the American company New Home along with the eponymous trademark. This is the oldest American company that has existed since 1867. A few years later, Janome begins to expand into the Old World, opening branches in the UK, and then in several other countries.

1969 becomes an important year for Janome. Then the company's first factory outside of Japan was opened - in Taiwan. Almost twenty years later, the construction was completed and the largest factory in the world for the production of household sewing machines was opened in Thailand.

Janome currently has fourteen sales subsidiaries: two each in the US and Germany, one each in Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and China. In total, the company employs more than 3,700 people. All products and production comply with international quality standards ISO 9002 and ISO 14001.

different horizons

Did you know that Janome is not only famous for its sewing machines?

In 1971, Janome was the first in the world to release a bank card embossing device that could be used in an ordinary office. The demand for it was overwhelming, because. It was in the 1970s that the development of bank card payments began. At the same time, new, more advanced models of sewing machines are being produced.

In addition, in 1988, Janome began producing high-tech water treatment systems, which became an additional business for the company. And in 1993, Janome releases the world's first JR500 desktop robot for high-tech product assembly. Such robots are used by many companies around the world, for example, in smartphone factories. The experience gained in the development of such robots was then applied by JANOME to the development of the most advanced sewing and embroidery machines. Janome MC6000

In 1990, the company released the world's first computer sewing and embroidery machine Janome Memory Craft 8000. It was a real breakthrough in home technology! Janome's latest development, the MC15000, incorporates many of the company's innovations, becoming the culmination of the technical genius of the Land of the Rising Sun.

From its inception to the present day, Janome products have been a symbol of unsurpassed Japanese quality and reliability, rich functionality and ease of use.

Janome sewing machine manufacturer

A global corporation for the development, modernization and production of sewing equipment, exports its garments to more than 100 countries around the world. Due to the optimal ratio of quality, functionality and price inherent in Janome sewing machines, the company is rightfully considered the leader in the number of analogues both in the Russian and in the world market of sewing machines.

Facts about Janome

The Japanese Janome factory began operations on October 16, 1921. The main production office is located in Tokyo. The largest Janome factories are located in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan. To date, the company has about 300 own retail stores and more than 50% of the sewing equipment market in Russia and the CIS countries. Sales branches of the company are scattered in Canada, USA, Germany, New Zealand, etc.

Why Janome sewing machines are so popular: 3 reasons

As mentioned above, Janome sewing equipment occupies a large part of not only the Russian, but also the European market. In this regard, for many consumers who are eager to purchase a typewriter, a completely understandable question arises: why?

  1. Modern technologies

    The Janome sewing machine factory (Taiwan) has incorporated the best technical achievements developed in recent times. The company's products fully comply with the recognized European quality standard (ISO 9002). The modernized Janome factory, equipped with the most advanced manufacturing technology, produces more than one million sewing machines annually. In terms of total indicators, this plant surpasses such giants of the world industry as, for example, Singer and Zeng Hsing.

  2. High level of quality

    The company has its own production for the manufacture of components and assemblies for its machines. A strict control system, from the first stage of production to assembly, completely eliminates defects, which, in turn, reduces the risk of rapid equipment breakdown to a minimum. It is worth noting that many sewing machines of no less popular manufacturers are equipped with Janome components.

  3. Wide range of

    Janome is credited with being the first company to manufacture computerized sewing machines in 1979, a technological breakthrough. To date, the company produces the largest number of units of computerized equipment. Many well-known brands prefer to produce their equipment at the Janome factory.

With many years of experience in the production of sewing equipment, as well as the most advanced production base, Janome has fully deserved the proud title of the world leader among sewing machine manufacturers!

The publication was written with the support of the online store of sewing equipment -

What brand of sewing machine is the best? Surely, this question is asked by everyone who buys a new sewing machine. Which brand of sewing machine is best for you? Let's try to understand this confusing story.

First, let's narrow down the focus and consider only the household sewing machine market and take a look at the following table:

ManufacturerCurrent number of modelsstitch qualityAvailabilityThe price of the cheapest machine
baby lock25 2 Only through dealers*
Bernina13 1 Only through dealers*
Brother48 3 Online retail$75
Elna19 1 Only through dealers*
Husqvarna Viking14 1 Only through dealers*
Janome50 2 Some only through dealers and some online$150
Juki8 2 Online retail$160
pfaff18 1 Only through dealers*
Singer53 3 Online retail$85

It is believed that Baby lock is a subsidiary of Brother. However, Baby lock is a separate company headquartered in Missouri. However, some Baby lock models appear to be manufactured in Brother factories using the same materials as Brother machines.

So let's take a look at our table. The table shows the most famous sewing machine manufacturers and the number of sewing machine models they offer for home use. Excluded from the table are industrial model machines, overlockers, long sleeve machines, and embroidery machines. Combined sewing and embroidery machines are not excluded.

Brands are listed in alphabetical order, high-end manufacturers sell their cars exclusively through dealers, so the price for the cheapest model is marked with an asterisk.

Stitch quality is indicated by marks from 1 to 3 (1 is better). Machine manufacturers with stitch quality 1 - Bernina, Elna, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff really deserve this rating - any seamstress from any quilting club will confirm this. Accordingly, their machines are slightly more expensive than others.

If you sew to order, then the quality of the stitch is certainly of paramount importance to you. But if you sew for yourself, then you can pay attention to other manufacturers who can offer cheaper options for machines.

What is stitch quality how to define it? What is a beautiful straight line? How to measure stitch quality? In many cases, you can compare by eye the stitches in a seam that an expensive machine creates and the stitches in a seam that a simple, inexpensive sewing machine creates, and you won't notice any difference.

All manufacturers install controls on their machines that allow you to adjust the sewing process so that you get a wonderful stitch at the end. The neatness of the stitch depends on how smoothly and evenly the fabric is fed under the needle, how much intervention is required in the process of feeding the fabric from the seamstress so that the fabric is fed evenly. An essential factor in the formation of a stitch is how well the thread passes through all the tension and control mechanisms.

Why is one brand of sewing machine better than another?

This is competition. Businesses seek to make a "unique selling proposition", to find their niche in the market, in which they can offer their cars of a certain quality for a certain price.

Brother, for example, targets the home sewing machine market and strives to make affordable sewing machines with a wide range of features. Brother creates many different variations of the same model so that each variation can be tailored to individual needs.

Singer has a similar strategy, but she uses her history to give her an advantage in some areas.

A brand can work in several directions. He can focus on the quality of the product, which increases its cost, but allows you to get high-end consumers who are interested in the quality of the product.

Of great importance is population effect when the impression of the user of the sewing machine is made up of several components. For example, if we take and compare two machines Brother and Bernina with an automatic needle threader, we will understand that the design of these machines, ease of use, quality of parts - everything is different.

Elna and Bernina are the manufacturers that fall into this category. They do not have large sales volumes, but they make a profit due to the fact that they sell their products more expensively. Those who have tried cars of various brands know how Elna and Bernina differ from all others, and strongly recommend using them. If you are a beginner, then you must decide what suits you best - an easy-to-use and well-assembled sewing machine, or a machine of slightly lower quality, but with more features and operations.

The materials used in production, the quality of the stitch, the characteristics and capabilities of the products offered, after-sales service, as well as the prices for all of the above - this is what distinguishes some manufacturers of sewing machines from others.

Let's define the "best" sewing machine manufacturer

We can compare them on different factors:

  • Quality
  • Service maintenance
  • Reliability
  • Durability
  • Popularity
  • universal recognition

But there is no one firm that would win in all categories. For example, Elna and Bernina rank highly when it comes to quality, but they lose out on price and popularity.

Brother and Singer are universally recognized and have low prices, but the reliability of some models of their machines leaves much to be desired.

Juki makes great cars, but most people have never heard of them.

Husqvarna has bought several other brands and it's hard to tell where it stands now.

Janome has a strong foothold in the mid-range sewing machine market and has a reputation for the excellent quality of its products.

So, in order to determine which brand is truly "better", you must determine for yourself what is best for you. Look for a machine with the features you need, no more, no less, and then decide if it's worth paying extra for the quality and ease of use.

Dealer price and price of online stores

There is a rumor that the quality of cars bought online directly from the manufacturer and the quality of cars bought from a dealer can differ significantly. Maybe such cases have taken place, but basically it is beneficial for retail distributors to spread such a rumor.

A sewing machine with a set retail price is an expensive and not very profitable proposition for retailers, especially if they do not know how to make money on accessories. It is not an easy task to correctly calculate the amount of inventory and sales in order to maximize revenue and minimize storage costs.

Singer and Brother rely heavily on the Internet and almost every model of their typewriter is available on the Internet somewhere. The same goes for Juki. Janome makes some models available online while others are only available through dealers. Other manufacturers sell their products only through dealers.