Kawakami

What Kawakami does

Kawakami Co., Ltd. (株式会社 川上製作所) is a privately held Japanese industrial machinery manufacturer founded in June 1966 and headquartered in Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture. The company began by manufacturing steel furniture before pivoting to apparel-machinery in 1973 with the launch of its first automatic spreading machine, and has since built a portfolio of 50+ product models spanning automatic spreading machines (manual NK280 to fully automatic NK600SS), automatic cutting machines (GP, GPII, GPs10/30, GPs50/70 series), non-contact CO2 laser cutting systems (LCII series), EOS apparel CAD software, fabric inspection machines, labeling machines, inkjet plotters, and material handling equipment such as AUTO CARRY and Bucket Auto Lifter. Its core technology centers on synchronized spreading-to-cutting workflows — NK series spreading machines and GP series cutting machines share CAD data via LAN, enabling automated defect management, raw material control, and reduced material waste through diagonal stacking and grain-aligned spreading.

The company generates revenue primarily through direct enterprise sales of capital equipment and after-sales service to apparel manufacturers (the primary segment), as well as automotive seat and interior makers, medical textile producers, aerospace component manufacturers, and industrial materials companies. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; Kawakami facilitates customer financing through Japanese SME Labor-saving Investment Subsidy (中小企業省力化投資補助金) eligibility. Go-to-market relies on field sales via its Okayama headquarters and three domestic branches (Tokyo, Nagoya, Tohoku), plus four wholly-owned overseas subsidiaries in China (Jiaxing regional HQ and Shanghai), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, est. 2016), and South Korea (Seoul, est. 2018), complemented by participation in five annual domestic trade shows (ASM OSAKA, FISMA Tokyo, JIAM OSAKA, Kyushu Apparel Machine Show, Tohoku Apparel Industry Show), a multilingual website, YouTube demonstration videos, and a TeamViewer-based remote support service for installed systems. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified (since May 2006) and is led by President Takamatsu Kojiro (高松 紳次郎).

Name

Kawakami

Legal name

株式会社 川上製作所

Website

https://kawakami-cs.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apparel Manufacturing Machinery

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

End-of-Line Integration & Packaging Line Systems (IMAHAOAN)

Keywords

• Automatic spreading machines
• Automatic cutting machines
• Apparel manufacturing machinery
• Fabric cutting systems
• Industrial sewing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Kasaoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Machinery Manufacturing and Sales: Kawakami designs, manufactures, and sells industrial machinery including automatic spreading machines, automatic cutting machines, laser cutting machines, CAD systems, inspection machines, and peripheral equipment. Revenue is generated through direct sales of machinery to apparel, automotive, medical, aerospace, and industrial materials manufacturers, as well as after-sales maintenance and support services.
2. Maintenance and Support Services: After-sales maintenance, remote support (Kawakami Remote Access Support via TeamViewer), on-site service, parts supply, and technical support for installed machinery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kawakami designs, manufactures, and sells industrial fabric pre-production machinery — automatic spreading machines, automatic cutting machines (mechanical and laser), apparel CAD systems, inspection machines, labeling machines, inkjet plotters, and material-handling peripheral equipment — sold primarily to apparel, automotive seat/interior, medical, aerospace, and industrial materials manufacturers. The company's offering is anchored by a proprietary LAN-linked synchronized workflow that connects its NK series spreading machines with its GP series cutting machines for CAD-data-driven automated production.

Product overview

Kawakami Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of industrial machinery for the apparel and manufacturing industries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of spreading machines, automatic cutting machines, and supporting equipment. The product lineup includes: (1) Spreading machines ranging from manual (NK280) to fully automatic (NK600SS, NK500) models, including tubular-specific (NK320), grain alignment (Xn460), and high-speed CAD-compatible systems (NK2000 SP Series); (2) Automatic cutting machines including conveyor laser (LCIIN series), fixed-bed laser (LCII series), and mechanical cutting systems (GPII, GPs50/70, GPs10/30 series); (3) CAD/CAM systems including EOS apparel CAD software; (4) Supporting equipment including inspection machines, labeling machines (LM series), inkjet plotters (JPC series), material handling (AUTO CARRY, BAL, unwinding-winding machines), and spreading tables; (5) A government subsidy inquiry service for small/medium business automation investments. The products are designed for apparel, automotive seats, interiors, medical, aerospace, and industrial material applications, with capabilities spanning spreading, cutting, labeling, inspection, and CAD-based production planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kawakami Cutting Systems: Brand used for overseas subsidiaries and international operations including Vietnam, Korea, and China entities
• KAWAKAMI & ITSUMI

Products and services

• NK2000 SP Series High-Speed Fixed-Length Cutting System CAD data-compatible high-speed sheet spreading system for apparel, automotive seats, interiors, and industrial materials. Features include servo motor drive (max 40m/min, 0.5G acceleration), automatic fabric set mechanism, end-of-fabric detection, photoelectric edge-alignment, bucket-type automatic fabric supply, automatic lifter, automatic cutter, and air table. Reaches max stacking height of 80mm.
• GPII Series Automatic Cutting Machines (GP70II/50II) Spec-upgraded automatic cutting machines for standard materials, thick materials, and trim covers. Features touch panel operation with voice navigation, LAN connection with NK2000 spreading machine for CAD data sharing, MS Navigate System for simultaneous cutting and fabric feeding, automatic knife wear measurement and correction, vacuum pressure auto-control, automatic speed adjustment, and 3-line punch device.
• GPs50/70 Series Automatic Cutting Machine Performance-improved automatic cutting machine handling standard materials, thick materials, and trim covers. Features touch panel operation with voice navigation, CAD data sharing with PC-equipped spreading machines, carriage sub-monitor, vinyl lift, LED indicator, MS Navigate System, automatic knife wear measurement and correction, automatic vacuum control, and single part cutting. 11 models registered for small business labor-saving subsidy.
• GPs10/30 + NK20/30 Ultra-Compact Spreading-Cutting System Ultra-compact spreading-cutting system for micro-factories, sample cutting, and order cutting. Total machine length 5m, cutting area with direct spreading over 2m spreading length. Compatible with apparel, automotive seats, and industrial materials, with customizable combinations available.
• LCIIN Series Conveyor Bed Laser Cutting Machines Conveyor bed non-contact laser cutting machines with 80-130W CO2 lasers, adjustable head height for focal range control, software and panel volume laser power adjustment, easy laser tube replacement, and DXF universal data format compatibility. Capable of cutting fabric, leather, wool, acrylic, wood products, crystal, and ceramic tiles.
• LCII Series Fixed Bed Laser Cutting Machines Fixed bed laser cutting machines with world-top-level safety and cutting speed/precision. Cuts fabrics, leather, wool, acrylic, wood products, crystal, and ceramic tiles with 80-130W CO2 laser. Head height adjustable for focal range, supports DXF format with easily replaceable laser tube.
• NK320 Tubular Automatic Spreading Machine Tubular fabric-specific automatic spreading machine with distance-setting spreading length memory, computer-controlled acceleration/deceleration, ear alignment device, automatic picker-up function, piece counter, and automatic stop on fabric end. Speed: 80 m/min, power: single-phase 100V, 500W, with effective fabric widths of 1100mm-1300mm.
• NK300GXN Series Automatic Spreading Machine Long-selling automatic spreading machine series available in 8 models with widths from 1350mm to 2350mm. Features cutting device, catcher device, slide turntable, automatic tension-adjusted feed device, photoelectric ear alignment, digital piece counter, and end-of-fabric detection.
• NK300SP Automatic Spreading Machine Automatic spreading machine with cutter device, clamp catcher device, millimeter-level spreading precision, diagonal stacking spreading function for CAM cutting efficiency, mini-marker device for defect marking, laminate sensor for leather-following operation, and material loading device. Designed for automotive seats and trim covers.
• NK370 Automatic Spreading Machine Conveyor-type automatic spreading machine with synchronized bucket-type unwinding mechanism, vibration device for fabric stabilization, automatic material set mechanism, automatic picker-up, ear alignment, and end-of-fabric detection. Max speed 65 m/min, 180mm max spreading height. For knit and foundation fabrics.
• NK390 Automatic Spreading Machine Automatic spreading machine with bucket-type electric unwinding mechanism, LCD touch panel, combination roller option, and Wasa-cut device. Features 6-level phase spreading and operates at 70 m/min max speed with fabric widths up to 2250mm.
• NK500 Fully Automatic Spreading Machine All-round fully automatic spreading machine with LCD touch panel, inverter motor drive, 6-phase/8-phase phase spreading, automatic picker-up, automatic fabric set with edge alignment, automatic tension adjustment, and data memory retention even during power outages. Supports fold-back spreading, one-way spreading, and inside-out counter spreading. Max fabric weight 60kg, max roll diameter 450mm.
• NK600SS Fully Automatic Spreading Machine High-speed fully automatic spreading machine with LCD touch panel, high-speed cutter, automatic catcher, raw material bar, optional inside-out opposing spreading attachment, and AutoCarry integration. Max roll diameter 450mm, max height 180mm, max weight 100kg.
• Xn460 Grain-Aligned Spreading Machine Specialized spreading machine for fabric grain correction with grain alignment mechanism, simplified bucket device, 8-stage phase spreading system, automatic picker-up, two-stage ear alignment, and 70 m/min max travel speed. Available in 1-type (1280mm), 2-type (1550mm), and 3-type (1700mm) effective widths.
• NK280 Manual Spreading Machine Manual spreading machine with bucket-type automatic unwinding device, material cutter device, rewind mechanism, and picker lifting device. Used for automotive seats and industrial materials.
• EOS Apparel CAD System Apparel CAD system in EOS series including EOS300 (computer, monitor, software for pattern, grading, marking), EOS500 (adds A0 digitizer), EOS700 (adds A0 vertical cutting plotter or JP16-1 ultra-high-speed inkjet plotter). Supports TIIP DXF import/export and generic DXF import.
• Inspection Machine (Round-Up Type / Swing-Down Type) Inspection machine with vibration function that relaxes fabric during inspection. Defects can be saved as file data and shared with EntanLT-equipped spreading machines for integrated defect management.
• LM-18 / LM-20 / LM-22 Labeling Machine Labeling machine that labels information from CAD data. Can be integrated into existing production lines, applying labels to cut part positions using cylinder arm stamp method. Supports GGT label format data and Windows 8 tablet.
• JPC-18 / JPC-22 Inkjet Plotter Ultra-high-speed inkjet plotter maximizing speed, operational efficiency, space-saving, and cost performance with 80㎡/h print speed (round-trip printing).
• AUTO CARRY Automatic Carriage System Automatic raw material loading device for continuous, efficient loading operations. Compatible with NK300GXN, NK500CSN, NK600 and other spreading machines.
• BAL-L / BAL-R Bucket Auto Lifter Bucket-type unwinding mechanism for spreading machines. Available in heavy fabric and bucket versions for different applications. Compatible with NK280, NK370, NK390, NK480, and other spreading machines.
• Automatic Unwinding & Winding Machine Automatic unwinding and rewinding machine effective for tubular material changing and material rewinding operations.
• Spreading Table Various spreading tables available in different configurations according to factory layout requirements.
• Print-Scanner Laser Cutting System PSL-1814FII Print-scanner laser cutting system compatible with sublimation transfer printing, integrating printing and cutting into a single workflow.
• SME Labor-Saving Investment Subsidy Inquiry Service Small/medium business labor-saving investment subsidy inquiry service with 11 registered automatic cutting machine models eligible for subsidy. Routes inquiries through Kawakami's General Affairs department (TEL 0865-66-3711) to assist customers in accessing Japan's SME automation subsidy program.

Quantifiable outcome

• NK2000 SP Series achieves max spreading speed of 40m/min with max acceleration of 0.5G
• +7 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ITsumi (いつみ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2021Since January 2021, Kawakami and ITsumi have partnered under the name 'KAWAKAMI & ITsumi'. The partnership adds pressing machines and spongeing machines to Kawakami's product lineup, enabling more efficient operation and utilization for customers. ITsumi specializes in pressing and spongeing equipment for the sewing industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gerber Technology: US-based provider of CAD/CAM and automated cutting solutions for apparel and industrial fabrics. Now part of Lectra but historically a direct competitor to Kawakami in spreading and cutting machinery for garment manufacturers.
• Lectra: French global leader in CAD/CAM and automated cutting solutions for apparel, fashion, automotive, and furniture. Directly comparable to Kawakami in fabric cutting machinery and apparel pre-production systems, but with a much broader software and services portfolio and global geographic reach.
• ATOM: Japanese manufacturer of cutting machinery for apparel, automotive, and industrial applications. The most directly comparable domestic Japanese peer to Kawakami, competing in similar product categories within the same home market.
• Bullmer: German manufacturer of cutting machines for textiles, leather, and technical materials. Closely comparable to Kawakami in mechanical cutting machinery and serves overlapping apparel and industrial materials segments in Europe and globally.
• Eastman Machine Company: US manufacturer founded in 1888 producing cutting machinery for textiles, composites, and industrial materials. Overlaps directly with Kawakami's mechanical cutting machine product line and serves similar industrial fabric customers.

Broad incumbents

• Brother Industries: Japanese manufacturer of sewing machines and industrial machinery. Adjacent to Kawakami in apparel machinery but focused on sewing equipment rather than fabric pre-production, serving overlapping customers.
• Roland DG: Japanese manufacturer of digital printing and cutting equipment including inkjet plotters and cutters. Some product overlap with Kawakami's cutting/printing machines, but operates a much broader product range across multiple verticals.
• Zünd Systemtechnik: Swiss manufacturer of digital cutting systems for graphics, packaging, textiles, and composite materials. Overlaps with Kawakami in fabric/textile cutting but operates a much broader product portfolio across multiple industries.
• Mimaki Engineering: Japanese manufacturer of inkjet printers, cutting plotters, and related digital fabrication equipment. Adjacent to Kawakami's inkjet plotter and cutting machine lines but with a wider graphics/signage focus.

Others

• ITOCHU Corporation: Major Japanese trading company that distributes apparel and textile machinery globally. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem participant that can shape distribution channels and customer access for products like Kawakami's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kawakami-co-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kawakami