Soto

SOTO

Innovative and inspiring burner units from Japan since 1978.

SOTO's engineers have dedicated their lives to creating products that reach maximum sustained flame in the least amount of time, dedicated to generating and integrating the "Blue Flame" into every flaming device created. Devices that can be trusted to function in extreme cold and chilly winds. Every effort is made to provide the highest safety and technical standards in all phases of production, resulting in an enhanced outdoor experience for end users of SOTO's products.

In the early years, Hajime Yamamoto, founder of Shinfuji Burner, worked as a burner manufacturer in Japan where winter temperatures can drop to -40°F. Then a burner took 2 to 3 minutes to preheat. Recognizing the benefits of reducing this wait time, he assembled a team of the best creative, engineering and innovative minds he could find who shared his determination to create a burner that took seconds – not minutes – to preheat. Shortly thereafter, the Shinfuji Burner was born, the flashlight was invented and a new industry standard was set, taking just under 15 seconds (20-30 in extreme cold temperatures) to preheat.

In 1986, the industrial burner gained momentum and respect as customers in both the home and commercial sectors experienced new levels of success in their weed control efforts. This inspired Yamamoto and his team of engineers to design a kerosene weed burner specifically for home use. As word spread, the fields surrounding rural Japan revived. While perfecting the weed burning device, industrial burner materials, innovative flaming and skilled soldering were added to Shinfuji's growing product line that generates and integrates the blue flame.

Shinfuji continued to expand its torch products until 1990 when the flashlight was invented as a craft tool. The team realized that this small torch, with its powerful flame and impervious to wind, could become an effective flaming device for extreme weather outdoor adventurers. With this vision firmly planted in their minds, the innovative engineers – now with decades of experience – launched SOTO Outdoors. SOTO means "outdoors" in Japanese.

SOTO was introduced to the world market in 2010. Since then, SOTO has been awarded five coveted industry awards for its flaming devices. Today, nearly half of the units manufactured by Shinfuji are weather-triggered and hand-selected Japanese-made materials. Decades of experience, the highest safety and technical standards and relentless inspections are behind every innovative SOTO flaming device.