Voted in 2003, as one of Switzerland’s top brands, Kaba is also becoming a household symbol in Japan. Nihon Kaba is the successful subsidiary of the Kaba Group’s mechanical and electromechanical locks division. As the Japanese consumer embraces innovative and premium products, the Kaba brand is seeking its own success in Japan under the guidance of a visionary leader.

Kato developed a strategy to revitalize and reposition the Kaba business in Japan with a concentration on establishing the brand awareness. Originally, the Japanese subsidiary was set up to deal in the OEM business with Japanese lock manufacturers.

With nearly nonexistent brand awareness and low original sales activities, Kato put his efforts into redesigning the business. He started up the original brand business with brand cylinders and key sales by recruiting local wholesalers and locksmiths as Kaba Club members. Only seven years later, Nihon Kaba has a distribution network totaling more than 700 members now covering the whole country.

The rise in the crime rate in Japan, during the late 1990’s brought a new awareness of security in Japan. “I have persuaded Japanese citizens to be more conscious about their own lock and security systems. I think the rise in crime was a trigger for Japanese citizens to start being aware of how security was low compared to other countries,” Kato says.

With the lockpicking epidemic fortunately ended in Japan, the well-established Kaba brand has continued to be successful. The Kaba 21 cylinder continues to be one of the best-selling locking systems in Japan. As the senior citizen population in Japan is growing, the Kaba Total Access system is also finding success in the market as an easy and comfortable system to control for the entire household. Kaba’s Total Access system is an integration of mechanical and electronic security systems that protects all the physical entrances of a household.

Nihon Kaba’s substantial growth during the past decade has resulted in its achieving over 50 percent of market share of the high end market in Japan. “Nihon Kaba has always shown the market that Kaba has an excellent reputation and popularity in the European and worldwide market. And the Japanese market is aware of that. What really matters to us is to supply special value added product security. I believe this principle is what will continue to lead us to stable business growth,” he says.

Kato is also a co- founder and Chairman of the Japanese Lock Manufacturers Association. In June of 2003 he was awarded the prestigious Social Cultural Dignified Service Grand Prize to highlight his commendable contributions to Japanese society.