Family Inada (Inada) is a Japanese manufacturer of robotic massage chairs. Based in Osaka, Japan, Inada was founded in 1962 by Nichimu Inada[1] and invented the first automatic shiatsu massage chair.[2] Mr. Meishoku Kim is Inada's director of development.[3]
Much of their technological development comes from a secretive skunk works located in their main headquarters in Osaka. The main factory is located in Nawa, a small town located in the Tottori prefecture of Japan.
In 2001 Inada released the i.1 and the H.9 massage chairs.[4] The H.9, which uses infrared sensors to profile a user's body to determine the location of acupressure points, was a TIME Magazine Invention of the Year [5] and became a bestseller in Japan.[6] In 2003 the D.1 was released to critical acclaim,[7] and in 2008 Inada released the Sogno DreamWave, designed by Toshiyuki Kita.
The Sogno DreamWave (HCP-10001A) received 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Honors[8] and was a 2009 American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD) Pinnacle Award finalist. In 2010, Inada received two additional CES Innovations Honors for the Inada CUBE [9] in the Home Appliance Category[10] and the Doctor's Choice massage chair [11] in the Health and Wellness Category.[12]
For fans of NBC's "30 Rock," the Sogno DreamWave was character Tracy Jordan's recliner in Season 4 (2009–2010) of the show.
Family Inada is distributed in the United States by FIUS Distributors LLC dba Inada Massage Chairs (Boulder, Colorado, United States) and in Canada by Bodo Wellness Technology (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). In total, Inada claims to be distributed in over 60 countries worldwide.