Overview
- The Asics board approved the company split on Wednesday that will transfer the Onitsuka Tiger business to a wholly owned subsidiary named OT Group, with the reorganisation due to take effect on January 1, 2027.
- Under the plan the split agreement is scheduled for execution on October 1, 2026 and OT Group will seek shareholder approval at a meeting on November 16, 2026, and the move is structured as a simplified absorption‑type company split under Japan’s Companies Act.
- OT Group was incorporated in Tokyo in February 2026 and will be led by president and CEO Ryoji Shoda, who will run the new global headquarters for the Onitsuka Tiger business.
- Asics said OT Group will remain wholly owned and that no initial public offering is planned; the parent expects the internal reorganisation to have only a minimal effect on consolidated results.
- Onitsuka Tiger’s strong performance—136.5 billion yen in sales in 2025 and roughly a 38% profit margin—has driven the retail push that includes Tokyo’s Shinjuku flagship on July 10, a Nagoya opening in August and a planned Los Angeles flagship in February 2027, and the brand’s heritage and past U.S. withdrawal over creative tensions help explain the move for greater autonomy.