List of Japanese bicycle brands and manufacturers
Typical 1970s Bike boom ten-speed road bike Japanese bicycle brands such as Fuji, Miyata, Panasonic/National, Bridgestone, Univega and Nishiki had enjoyed tremendous success during the United States' 1970's bike boom, only to suffer during in the late 1980s. Because of the steep decline in the Yen's value, Nishiki and Univega were ultimately absorbed by Derby International, and manufacture of Nishiki bicycles was moved from Japan in 1989 to Giant Bicycles in Taiwan. Derby discontinued the Nishiki brand in the United States in 2001.
Pictured: 1977 Nishiki International
Manufactured: Kawamura Cycle, Kobe, Japan
Frame: Lugged, plain gauge Cromoly
Fork: high-tensile steel
Rear Derailler Suntour Cyclone
Front Derailler: Suntour Cyclone
Stem Shifters: Suntour
Brakes: Diacompe, single pivot side-pull
Rims: Araya 27 x 1.25, 36 count spokes
Hubs: Shimano
Crank: Sugino Super Maxy
Seat stem: LaPrade
Non-standard equipment:
handlebars, saddle, chrome cable guides, rear rack
This is a list of Japanese bicycle brands and manufacturers — as well as brands with models manufactured in Japan.
Japanese bicycle brands and manufacturers
- 3 Rensho
- Alps
- Amanda (Tokyo)
- American Eagle, later Nishiki (U.S. brand, manufactured by Kawamura Cycle)
- American Star
- Amuna (written "AMVNA", manufactured by Matsumoto Cycle, Sendai)
- A.N. Design Works (Core Japan, Tokyo)
- Apollo (a Canadian brand manufactured by Kuwahara, marketed by Fred Deeley Imports of Vancouver)
- Araya
- ARES
- Asuka (Nara)
- Azuki (a sub-brand of West Coast Cycle, see Nishiki)
- Baramon (Kurume)
- Bianchi (certain models manufactured in Japan)
- Bridgestone (variously marketed as Anchor, C.Itoh, Kabuki)
- Cateye (famous for cycling accessories, manufacture exercise bikes)
- Centurion
- Cherubim (Machida, Tokyo)
- Crafted (Fukui)
- Deki
- Diamond Back
- Elan
- Emme Akko (Miyako)
- Focus (Araya) [1]
- Fuji
- Fury
- Ganwell (Kyoto)
- Hirose (Kodaira, Tokyo)
- Holks
- Honjo (Tottori)
- Ikesho
- Iribe (Nara)
- Kabuki, see Bridgestone
- Kalavinka (made by Tsukumo, Tokyo)
- Kawamura Cycle, Kobe, Japan (manufactured Nishiki and Azuki brands)
- Kusano Engineering (Tokyo)
- Kuwahara
- Lightning (made by Inazuma Cycle)
- Lotus
- Maruishi
- Marukin (White Sails) apparently a subsidiary of Hodaka Corp.
- Mikado
- Miyata
- Kiyo Miyazawa (Tokyo)
- Miyuki (Tokyo)
- Mizutani (ミズタニ自転車株式会社) (Tokyo) (Established in 1924)(http://www.mizutanibike.co.jp/)
- Nagasawa
- Nakagawa (Osaka)
- Nakamichi
- Nishiki (U.S. brand, earlier as American Eagle, manufactured by Kawamura)
- Noko
- Ono
- Panasonic / National
- Pegasus (Chofu, Tokyo)
- Peugeot (certain models manufactured in Japan)
- Pie
- Polaris
- Project M (Tsukuba, Ibaraki)
- Puch (certain models manufactured in Japan)
- Raizin (Kiryu, Gunma)
- Raleigh / Rampar (certain models manufactured in Japan)
- Ravanello (made by Takamura, Tokyo)
- Reminton
- Royal Norton
- Royce Union
- San Rensho (3Rensho)
- Sannow
- Schwinn (certain models manufactured in Japan, e.g., Voyageur, World models)
- Sekai
- Sekine
- Shimazaki (Tokyo)
- Shimano
- Shogun
- Silk
- Skyway
- Smith
- Soma
- SR (Sakae Ringyo), purchased later by Mori Industries, merged with Suntour
- Suntour, purchased later by Mori Industries, merged with SR
- Suteki, a brand marketed by Sears, manufactured by Panasonic.
- Takara
- Tano
- Terry
- Toei (Kawaguchi, Saitama)
- Tokyobike
- Toyo
- Tsunoda (Nagoya, Japan — also manufactured Lotus brand)
- Tubagra
- Univega
- Vigore (Kyoto)
- Vlaams
- Vogue (made by Orient, Kamakura)
- Zebrakenko
- Zunow (Osaka)