Michio Suzuki
A cotton farmer's son who built his mother a faster loom; the loom works became a motor company.
- Born
- 1887 · Nezuminomura, Shizuoka, Japan
- Roots
- Japanese; a village of farmers and cotton weavers
- Family
- Working class
- Cotton-farming family; he worked the fields from the age of seven.
- Education
- Seven-year carpentry apprenticeship from 14
- Started with
- A pedal loom
- His first build — for his mother, who wove ten times faster with it.
- Affiliations & societies
- None documented.
- Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.
The pathway
- 1901 · age 14Carpenter's apprentice
Seven years under a strict master in Hamamatsu.
- 1909 · age 22Suzuki Loom Works
Converts the family silkworm shed into a loom workshop.
- 1937 · age 50A first try at cars
Prototypes are shelved when the government declares civilian cars non-essential.
- 1952 · age 65Power Free
A motorized bicycle for postwar Japan; the pivot from looms to motors.
- 1955 · age 68Suzulight
An early kei car that helps define Japan's light-vehicle class.
Sources
Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.