Hi Joe,
The wrap-around seat stays, lugs and fork crown look identical to those on my '77 Centurion Semi-Pro.
http://www.flickr.com/
Tom Royce in San Diego.
> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:25:12 -0800
> From: jbunik@gmail.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] Curious about Sekai Professional 4000
>
> Good afternoon all
>
> I've enjoyed these pieces of Sekai info that have floated in the past
> few days. Last year I offered on-list a Sekai 4000 frameset (which we
> still cellar, btw... ;-) ), and struck up a discussion with Mr. Black
> when he noted his Centurion Semi-Pro was near-identical (save for the
> Shimano dropouts on mine)... here's my 1976 Sekai 4000 (57x57),
> "M6xxxx" serial. Prior owner had also indicated this was Champion #1:
> http://www.flickr.com/
>
> I'd read somewhere more regarding the Miki(/Miko???) and Yamaguchi
> connection, but can't recover them! Was Yamaguchi employed by that
> shop?
>
> This thread, too has some possibly relevant trivia:
> http://www.bikeforums.net/
> ... which corroborates a mysterious comment Mr. Black once made to me,
> "About ten years ago I had a KHS touring bike from the early 80s, that
> had a seattube sticker that said, Parker Process, Miki Sakai. It was
> really crude, though." Points to Black for discerning the spelling of
> Sekai vs. Sakai...
>
> =- Joe Bunik
> Walnut Creek, CA