[CR]Japanese as Copycats?

(Example: Books:Ron Kitching)

Date: Sun, 06 Mar 2005 10:09:43 +0900
From: "Dennis Young" <mail@woodworkingboy.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
In-Reply-To: <MONKEYFOOD7nyeKzGZu00002c68@monkeyfood.nt.phred.org>
Subject: [CR]Japanese as Copycats?

Though contrary to a belief widely held, in industry the extent to which the Japanese were clever imitators and modernity was derivative, is rather minimal, and basicly without much in the way of precedent prior to the devastation of WWll. After the war, a country without prosperity took to an assessment of what was recognizable and marketable in the west, and followed suit, a much less costly way to enter the competition. The Japanese made the very act of borrowing into one of great creativity. As in the bike industry, prototypes were learned, imitated with skill and to a fine degree of exactitude, then when the resources were available to allow explorations, there was development in new and influential ways, i.e, the Suntour slant parallelogram derailleur. When the patent on it expired, all the major derailleur manufacturers jumped to incorporate it into their designs. Comparing Suntour with Shimano makes for an interesting study. It shows how better marketing strategy over better products could gain the larger market share, and how constant big budget for research and development would eventually project Shimano to the heights of component respectability.

Dennis Young Low budget for r and d, but the time for it in Hotaka, Japan

Snip from Jerry Moos post:
> The irony is that, once they shed their immediate post-WWII image as producers
> of cheap goods, the sterotype of Japanese industry then for many years became
> that they were excellent at quality control and efficient production, but
> largely copied western innovations. In the bike industry, the reality was
> just the opposite. From the early 70's on, SunTour then Shimano were the
> primary sources of technical innovation, while Campy, in their more successful
> efforts, copied or slightly refined Japanese designs and manufactured them
> with excellent qulaity control and traditional Campy durability.