Mr Tajima was born on June 30, 1929. After studying engineering, Mr Tajima and his late brother, Akira Tajima, were committed to boosting their father’s company in the post-war years. Mr. Tajima mastered the technology to assemble, repair and adjust industrial sewing machines and, upon his father’s death in 1960, he succeeded him to become president of Tokai Industrial Sewing Machine Co Ltd.

In 1964, he developed the first multi-head automatic embroidery machine in Japan, succeeding in automating what had previously been a manual operation.

Since then, embroidery products have consistently and dramatically improved, in both volume and quality. Meanwhile, with his outstanding vision, he focused on research and development of new products. He introduced advanced electronics technology, obtained many patents, and shaped the structure and framework of the company.

Responding to increasing global demand and to expand production capacity, Mr Tajima built a new plant in Ushiyama-cho, Kasugai City in 1979, and developed further machinery including the world`s first multi-head electronic chenille embroidery machine and electronic lock-stitch embroidery machine. The "Tajima" brand is now recognised worldwide.

In 1984, in recognition of his high quality improvement and mass production of embroidery products, Mr Tajima was cited as a "Craftsperson of Superior Skill" by the Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare. In 1987, he was further awarded the Yellow Ribbon Medal, a national medal of honor, which recognized Mr Tajima’s enormous contribution to the advance of apparel and related industries, through the spread of multi-head embroidery machines.

Mr Tajima was loved and respected by customers both inside Japan and around the world.

He frequently visited trade shows including those in the US, Europe, Russia, and China.

Mr Hitoshi Tajima, chairman and representative director, Tokai Industrial Sewing Machine Co Ltd said: “I cannot fully express how much we miss him. However, the groundwork that advisor Tajima laid out and nurtured in Tokai and Tajima Group, and in each one of us at the company, will never disappear.

“This embroidery industry has, of late, been facing new and some of its most difficult challenges, and we must hurry to build new foundations to prepare for our next generation.

“For that, we promise to endeavor toward the further progress of this company, which Mr Tajima heartily loved, and to ensure that we pass on to future generations all that we inherited from our magnificent founder.”

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