Japanese brands known worldwide

[Jack]

There are so many American brands that dominate consumer goods but maybe Japanese brands would rank second in the world. Here are some:

Sony
Toyota
Honda
Mazda
Nissan
Panasonic
Technics
Sanyo
JVC
Toshiba
Hitachi
Akai
Yamaha
Mitsubishi
Kawasaki
Suzuki
Nakamichi
Poky
Isuzu
Daihatsu
Subaru
Hino
Fuji
Canon
Fujitsu
Shiseido
Kirin
Asahi
Sapporo
NEC
Pioneer
Minolta
Cup Noodle
Daiwa
Komatsu
Sega
Nintendo
Seiko
Kikkoman
Shimano
Kenzo
Issey Miyake
JAL
ANA
Epson
Fujicolor
Sharp
Olympus
Bridgestone
Citizen
Casio
Ricoh
Konica
Brother
TDK
Kyocera


Aside from Poky I can't think of any consumer non-durables. Brands like Yoshinoya and AM-PM which are in the US are not known globally. Uniqlo is only in a few cities outside of Japan. Any others?

[Tsuru]

JCB?

Anyone who frequents hotels or high-street shops should know that one...

[Mulboyne]

The big one missing from your list is Nintendo. Hello Kitty is also generally regarded by the industry as a brand. There are a number of well-known fashion names like Comme des Garcons, Issey Miyake and Kenzo, although they don't have the reach of Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc. This article is over four years old now but covers some of the territory. Also, here's a 2001 survey from Corebrand. I rarely see Makita in such lists but their power tools are big sellers in the US as are Shimano bicycle components.

[American Oyaji]

Sega

[Jack]

The big one missing from your list is Nintendo. Hello Kitty is also generally regarded by the industry as a brand. There are a number of well-known fashion names like Comme des Garcons, Issey Miyake and Kenzo, although they don't have the reach of Louis Vuitton, Gucci etc. This article is over four years old now but covers some of the territory. Also, here's a 2001 survey from Corebrand. I rarely see Makita in such lists but their power tools are big sellers in the US as are Shimano bicycle components.

Wow! I tried to search for them online but couldn't find a site like this one. I guess there's a lot more than I thought.

[Tsuru]

Mizuno, Asics (sports apparel)

[Tsuru]

NRG Group/Nashuatec (printers and storage media)
Mitutoyo (measuring equipment)
Fuji Heavy Industries (produces major structural components for Boeing)

[American Oyaji]

Kubota (construction equipment)

[FG Lurker]

Aside from Poky I can't think of any consumer non-durables.

Fujifilm is one that comes to mind immediately. Konica too, except they don't make film anymore. Suntory has bought up a lot of foreign whiskey producers, although the Suntory brand itself is not that well known.

Maybe we could include Sony as a non-durable as their crap products only seem to last about a week anyway.

Hmm, durable goods. YKK, Fujitsu, Seiko, Casio, Citizen, Noritake (fine china)...

Brands that are Japanese that most people don't expect to be Japanese: 7-11, Seattle's Best Coffee

[Mulboyne]

Brands that are Japanese that most people don't expect to be Japanese: 7-11

That's a tricky one because 7-11 was originally a US operation. Ito Yokado acuired a licence to run the franchise in Japan but ended up buying the US company when it ran into financial difficulties. If you include Japanese-owned but not originated brand names then you'll come up with names like Firestone, Aquascutum, Sleeman Beer and Lion Nathan.

[IkemenTommy]

Uniqlo is only in a few cities outside of Japan. Any others?

Uniqlo opens NY store

You forgot your Okamoto

[Jack]

Uniqlo opens NY store

You forgot your Okamoto

I didn't forget. I dont use their products because they done't make them in large sizes

That Uniqlo opening looks like a helluva party. Did you see all that Toro in front of Morimoto?

Don't hijack the thread now....

[Sotei-guy]

I rarely see Makita in such lists but their power tools are big sellers in the US as are Shimano bicycle components.

I reckon that Ryobi is bigger overseas than Makita for power drills (at least in Australia it is). We (and all of our neighbours) have also had Rinnai water heating systems for yonks...

[Korrito]

My most loved Japanese brands:

Nikon (old stuff), Canon, NEC, Old Pentax cameras, Sony before they started making junk. Honda automobiles, motorcycles, small engines, ATV's. Old Olympus stuff. Yashica, Vivitar? Dunno if they were Japanese at the time my old 35mm SLR was made, but it has been -by far- the best SLR I've ever owned, and this thing was made in the early 70's.

Canon blows me away. Their digicams and printers are excellent and their support here in the US is exceptional. I received a Canon printer as a gift, unbeknownst to the buyer it was previously a returned "open box" item from CompUSA (gag). The previous unhappy owner never used the printer, but neglected to repack the black ink cartridge and the (proprietary) power cable. I called them asking for prices on the two missing items...the price inquiry was dismissed by them and they sent me both free of charge, 3-day air. A year earlier, a friend purchased a grey market digicam that arrived sans cables and software....they skipped over the whole credit card thing, knowing full well that it was purchased off of Ebay, and they still sent the missing items free of charge.

My two shotguns were made by SKB for Smith and Wesson...and while not pretty, they are accurate, smooth and reliable...in 25 years of hunting clay pigeons for sport and food, not a single fault (thousands of rounds).

Yamaha...gasm great stuff. The best products under that umbrella corporation; a piano, a set of speakers and a little 80cc motorbike that I rode silly and it kept on going...the speakers were the best that I ever owned, as was the little cycle. The piano was nice... not great but very good.

Japanese brands that I can now live without:

1. SONY. Overpriced shit. All my CRT's are SONY, but that's old stuff from 1998 or earlier, and the stuff today is just as good as when I bought them. But now it's all shit, at a high price.

2. Makita. They used to make some pretty tough tools, now just junk.

3. Toyota. Still pretty good, but shit compared to what they used to be. Now no point in picking a Toyota over a GM vehicle or *gasp* a Mercedes Benz (total shit).

Japanese Brands that haven't changed in quality:

1. Canon. I love their products because they work well, and work better than most other stuff at an equivalent price. If they made cars, I'd dry hump the bumpers on TV.

2. Fujifilm. Good stuff then, good stuff now. Likely, good stuff tomorrow.

3. Honda. Same cool products, same results day after day, year after year. Their stuff just works, and stays working.

[mr. sparkle]

Let us not forget

TOTO

The world's finest commodes.

[CKX]

What about Ascics and Mizuno? They produce excellent sports gear used in baseball and volleyball, soccer etc

[Mr Doricar]

Yokohama and Toyo tyres dont seem to last long when I run them! Guess that makes them non durable.