The future of Japanese gravel cycling could be being built in a cramped frame builder’s shop in Sakai City, Japan. Shouichi Soukawa‘s Corner Bikes brand is quickly becoming the region’s most innovative and coveted brand. He could also be defining what the gravel genre means to Japan’s already teeming bike community.
Shouichi is said to have been trained in the traditional methods of steel frame production in Tokyo. After his training, he returned to his native Sakai City to start Corner Bikes. The area is a center for steel production but has a vibrant creative culture. There’s also access to a wide variety of cycling terrain that has proven the perfect combo for the blossoming, local gravel scene.