At that time, the quality of the American chalk that many climbers were using changed, and at some point the friction deteriorated dramatically. Yamamoto, the founder of our company, who learned that the performance of climbing greatly depends on the performance of chalk, started research on chalk using the space behind the wall (about 1 tatami mat) of a small climbing gym in the suburbs of Tokyo that he was running at the time. I was.
My research began with comparative experiments on magnesium carbonate, and I tried mixing it with several chalks on the market at the time to see how it would change. The prototype of PURE, which is still being manufactured today, was the idea of changing the mix of magnesium carbonate itself, and these prototypes were sold to climbers who came in and out of the gym.
I started researching aroma after hearing about the effect of aroma from a friend who participated in a tour of a famous Japanese climber. By chance, I found a way to give the chalk itself a targeted scent, and the chalk that became the prototype of EFFECT was born. Around this time, I was also making prototypes of block chalk and colored chalk, but there were many obstacles to commercializing each of them, so I gave up.
The scented chalk was well received, and several shops requested to sell it.
At that time, the sensitivity to the performance of chalk was incomparable to what it is today, and most climbers were aware that "cheap choke is fine". ``Tokyo powder?
Nowadays, chalk brands are commonplace, but at that time, chalk was the accessory-like product of mountaineering manufacturers and climbing brands, and the only criteria for judging the quality of chalk was "cheapness".
With the release of SPEED, a scent that contrasts EFFECT, the limits of creating behind walls were approaching. At the same time, the gym that Yamamoto was managing moved to a larger site. We built a room for chalk development and manufacturing, and production increased day by day. Around this time, the factory manager became a teammate. There were still three types of products: PURE, EFFECT, and SPEED.
Although we felt the potential of chalk, we realized that there was a limit to improving friction with magnesium carbonate alone, so we groped for ways to increase friction.
Grade changes with choke
In 2014, despite many twists and turns, we focused on the raw materials contained in antiperspirants at the time, and after various experiments and trial and error, we came up with a chalk with a completely different level of performance than the chalk we have been up to now. succeeded in producing This is the completion of BLACK, a chalk that can be said to be synonymous with Tokyo powder.
"Chalk changes the grade that can be climbed." Undoubtedly, BLACK has become a turning point for climbing chalk.
It's been two years since BLACK was released, and there were days when I couldn't really put my ideas into practice. From the inspiration of the factory manager, ``What if two colors of solvent come out together like Aquafresh in toothpaste?'' I was able to get a class friction. This product, named BOOST, came to be called a "chargeable item" due to its high price and low content, and was popular with many rich climbers. This was the beginning of the “underground” chalk that has become commonplace today. The World Cup isolation was littered with broken BOOST bags, and the IFSC requested a list of raw materials.
Even after the launch of BOOST, there were chalk balls 'ASTRO' that increase friction, 'REACT' that maximizes chalk performance by washing hands, and chunky chalk that was said to be difficult with basic magnesium carbonate. 'RX', 'V3' and so on, we have always taken on new challenges and brought new products to the world.
We are also actively exporting overseas, and are currently sold in more than 25 countries in the United States, Canada, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. And in those countries, the recognition that "chalk changes the grade" that we tasted in 2015 is spreading. The environment surrounding Japanese chalk is the world's most advanced, due to the outstanding performance of Japanese players as well as their wealth of knowledge and experience. While appreciating the many athletes and great climbers, we will continue to create products that will make their performance even a little better.
COMPANY
| COMPANY NAME | TOKYO POWDER, LLC |
|---|---|
| ADDRESS | 1-9-4 Nangai Higashiyamato Tokyo, 2070014 JAPAN |
| Representative / CEO | Representative Mitsuo Yamamoto / Mitsuo Yamamoto |
| Business content BUSINESS |
Manufacture, processing and sales of climbing equipment Production and wholesale of climbing equipment. |
| business registration number | T2012803001485 |