Kyowa was established as a musical instrument distributor in Nagoya, Japan. Kyowa was primarily a trading company, importing products and developing some musical instruments. In 1973 Kyowa introduced the Fresher brand of guitars - these were made by by Matsumoto Musical Instrument Union and Chushin Gakki. Other Kyowa brands included: Argus (made by KuroKumo), Gallan (made by Matsumoto Musical Instrument Union), Caparison (introduced in 1995 and made by Hoshino Gakki and others) and Camel (made by by Matsumoto Musical Instrument Union and Chushin Gakki). Some Kyowa branded instruments were distributed in the 1970s. The company was finally declared bankrupt in 2011.

Source: Other JV guitars (23 November 2017)

Source: Vintage Guitar Magazine: Fresher Guitars. By Michael Wright (23 November 2017)

Source: Kyowa Shokai website (Archived 2011)