My good buddy Ken Nakajo in Portland, Oregon has a huge pile of a Japanese cycling magazine called (I think) "Bicycle Sport." In this magazine each month they have a big article of a "classic" bike or builder of some kind. This article is right next to a review of the newest high-zoot off-road bouncy bike. The Japanese as a culture don't see a big divide between the past and a present. History is part of the present and this allows people to think that "old" bikes are just as interesting as "new" bikes. Also Japan has a long tradition of craftsmanship and quality is a very important of hand made goods. Lastly is something that is sometimes referred to as the "hand of the artist" where the little details are very important. If you notice the items bought by the Japanese collectors they really are rarer items and usually small builder bikes. Lastly, I also don't think you're seeing the "regular" Japanese collector when you look at ebay. I think you're seeing the more well off collectors who can not only pay top dollar for items but also the really high shipping rates to Japan.
enjoy,
Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
Throwing down coffee and heading
to work in Santa Barbara, Calif.