was a dirt track motorcycle racer who was born in Japan and became the first Asian to compete in the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

. He started his career in 1907 as a bicycle racer; his company, Tomeye Trading Co., was the

Velocette Velocette is a line of motorcycles made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling almost as many hand-built motorcycles during i ...

motorcycle importer in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. He started racing motorcycles in 1921, at which time there were only 20 racers in Japan, and he became a leading organizer of motorsport events in Japan. During the

Taishō era The was a period in the history of Japan dating from 30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926, coinciding with the reign of Emperor Taishō. The new emperor was a sickly man, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of ...

, there had been a rapid growth of the motorcycling industry and racing in Japan. Races, sponsored by the national newspapers and intended to boost enthusiasm for Japan's rapidly developing industry, attracted crowds of up to 50,000. Tada was invited to race at the

1930 Isle of Man TT The 1930 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was dominated by the Rudge marque. Despite problems in practice for Rudge and the new George Hicks designed four-valve over-head valve motor-cycles the 1930 Junior TT was a closely contested race. At the end of ...

by Veloce Ltd, to celebrate the global popularity of their new KTT production racer. Tada had imported three KTTs to Tokyo in 1929, and was the Japanese National Champion. It him took 40 days by sea and rail, to reach the Isle of Man: he was the first Asian rider to compete in the event, and was the first Japanese rider to race overseas. Tada was loaned Alec Bennett's semi-works 350cc

Velocette KTT The Velocette KTT is a racing British motorcycle made by Velocette. The most significant variant of the Model K series of overhead camshaft Velocette motorcycles, the ''TT'' designation indicated the machine was intended for racing, and was an ...

bike, finishing 15th while gaining the nickname "the India Rubber Man", as he had a number of minor falls during the course of the race but remounted to carry on. At the prize giving ceremony after the race, Tada wore traditional

haori The is a traditional Japanese hip- or thigh-length jacket worn over a kimono. Resembling a shortened kimono with no overlapping front panels (), the typically features a thinner collar than that of a kimono, and is sewn with the addition of ...

(half length kimono jacket),

hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. Originally stemming from (), the trousers worn by members of the Chinese imperial court in the Sui and Tang dynasties, this style was adopted by the Japanese in the form of in the 6th centu ...

(loose trousers),

tabi are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century. History Japanese are usually understood today to be a kind of split-toed sock that is not meant to be worn alone outdoors, much like r ...

(toe socks), and

geta Geta may refer to: Places *Geta (woreda), a woreda in Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region *Geta, Åland, a municipality in Finland *Geta, Nepal, a town in Attariya Municipality, Kailali District, Seti Zone, Nepal *Get� ...

(wooden sandals).Always In The Picture: A History of the Velocette Motorcycle, Burgess and Clew, 1980, Haynes Foulis, London

Filmography

*
Faster Than Ever: An All-British Victory!
, British Pathe, 1930

References

Isle of Man TT riders Japanese motorcycle racers 1889 births 1976 deaths Place of death missing Sportspeople from Tokyo {{Japan-motorcycle-racing-bio-stub