Our Founding Story

Clover values its trademarks and corporate logos more than anything else. This is because trademarks and logos are a guarantee of quality to our customers and are the face of our company as well as a symbol of our products and services.

The inspiration for adopting the motif of a clover for our trademarks and logos dates back to the day when founder Toshio Okada left his home for Osaka for training. Late at night, on his way to the station, he sat down to take a rest. There, he plucked some lush green leaves that were growing in clusters around him and slotted them into his moral philosophy textbook that was in his basket. His mentor at the time told him that he should open this book from time to time and reflect on the teachings whenever he felt stuck in his work. Being loyal to what his mentor said, he would look back through the textbook many times, using the leaves as a bookmark. And yes, those leaves were of course white clover.

The original Clover logo from 1948

White clover is considered to have spread throughout Japan in the form of seeds attached to luggage, carried by train and blown by the wind. "We hope that people all over Japan will use our sewing needles and other handicraft products in their homes, just like the clover seeds that have spread throughout the country." This is the reason why Toshio Okada decided to use the motif of clover for the company's trademarks and logos.

The reason for changing the company name from Okada Keishichi Shoten to Clover Saihougu Co., Ltd. and transforming from a wholesaler to a manufacturer was all down to the founder. He was concerned about the situation where the market was flooded with inferior sewing needles and handicraft products, and felt the need to develop standardised, high-quality products. As we approach our 100th anniversary, our mission to continue to produce unique, high-quality products remains the same. As you can see from our company song, the symbolic clover mark is "our sign" and "our pride," which is passed down from generation to generation.