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Then you see that rotating machine that is made by Suzuki (machine that rotates threads, I'm no expert so no idea). And then you realize that every Japanese maj

by nixass 3y ago

Then you see that rotating machine that is made by Suzuki (machine that rotates threads, I'm no expert so no idea). And then you realize that every Japanese major industrial company produces literally everything

rudasn 3y ago
I think it's more like every japanese motor company produces everything that has a motor in it. Except Yamaha. Yamaha is just weird.
lb1lf 3y ago
I seem to recall reading in The Economist years and years ago that this was largely a result of countless mergers and acquisitions and a strong cultural distaste for whittling away units not part of what was defined as the business' core du jour. (Good on them, I say) Anyway, the result was that Japan's biggest supplier of tomato soup was... Sony.
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  Mitsubishi produces everything from pencils to space rockets and everything in-between and not in-between.
  - freetime2 3y ago
    According to Wikipedia [1], the Mitsubishi Pencil Company is not related to the Mitsubishi rocket company (aka Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) and Mitsubishi Group. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uni-ball https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uni-ball
    - lb1lf 3y ago
      Wow, I've been using Mitsubishi Hi-Unis as my go-to pencils for decades now, and always assumed they were part of The(tm) Mitsubishi group. IMHO they outrank anything as all-round pencils - I mostly use mine in H grade for writing, occasionally bringing out a set of various grades for some drawing, but still - Hi-Unis are unbreakable, consistent, takes kindly to erasing mistakes and... Wow, beating Tombows, Blackwings, Lumographs, the works. IMHO, at least. YMMV. Terms&Conditions apply.
    - Dalewyn 3y ago
      TIL! I'm pretty sure even most Japanese think they're part of the same group.
supernova87a 3y ago
https://www.theonion.com/yamaha-ceo-pleased-with-current-production-of-jet-skis-1819570984 https://www.theonion.com/yamaha-ceo-pleased-with-current-pro... "Yamaha CEO Pleased With Current Production Of Jet Skis, Alto Saxophones, Snowmobiles, Power Generators, Scooters, Golf Carts"
dfex 3y ago
These companies are informally known as Zaibatsu[1] - massive vertically integrated conglomerates. They produce literally everything they need to sustain themselves, so you'll find them running (say) an outsourced IT services business that services all their business units (from Car manufacturing, Aerospace to Restaurant chains) as they often avoid doing business with each other if possible. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaibatsu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaibatsu
- Dalewyn 3y ago
  >as they often avoid doing business with each other if possible. That culture is actually starting to change, because that domestic rivalry/hostility has been the chief reason Japan lost the competition against American, South Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese manufacturers in recent decades. Can't fight on the world stage if you're busy fighting each other on home turf, y'know?
freetime2 3y ago
I wasn’t sure it was the same Suzuki (it’s a common family name), but sure enough according to Wikipedia [1]: > In 1909, Michio Suzuki (1887–1982) founded the Suzuki Loom Works in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. Business boomed as Suzuki built weaving looms for Japan's giant silk industry. In 1929, Michio Suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine, which was exported overseas. The company's first 30 years focused on the development and production of these machines. Not only is it the same company, but it started out as a loom company! That being said, Suzuki Motor Corporation is actually a fairly small company (market cap ~$18.5B) that mainly sticks to building automobiles. Not to be confused with something like the Mitsubishi Group that provides a wide range of different products and services (automobiles, banking, home appliances, etc) under the same brand logo [2]. [1]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki [2]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Group https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Group

by nixass 3y ago

rudasn 3y ago

I think it's more like every japanese motor company produces everything that has a motor in it. Except Yamaha. Yamaha is just weird.

lb1lf 3y ago

I seem to recall reading in The Economist years and years ago that this was largely a result of countless mergers and acquisitions and a strong cultural distaste for whittling away units not part of what was defined as the business' core du jour. (Good on them, I say) Anyway, the result was that Japan's biggest supplier of tomato soup was... Sony.

Dalewyn 3y ago
Mitsubishi produces everything from pencils to space rockets and everything in-between and not in-between.
- freetime2 3y ago
  According to Wikipedia [1], the Mitsubishi Pencil Company is not related to the Mitsubishi rocket company (aka Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) and Mitsubishi Group. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uni-ball https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uni-ball
  - lb1lf 3y ago
    Wow, I've been using Mitsubishi Hi-Unis as my go-to pencils for decades now, and always assumed they were part of The(tm) Mitsubishi group. IMHO they outrank anything as all-round pencils - I mostly use mine in H grade for writing, occasionally bringing out a set of various grades for some drawing, but still - Hi-Unis are unbreakable, consistent, takes kindly to erasing mistakes and... Wow, beating Tombows, Blackwings, Lumographs, the works. IMHO, at least. YMMV. Terms&Conditions apply.
  - Dalewyn 3y ago
    TIL! I'm pretty sure even most Japanese think they're part of the same group.

supernova87a 3y ago

https://www.theonion.com/yamaha-ceo-pleased-with-current-production-of-jet-skis-1819570984 https://www.theonion.com/yamaha-ceo-pleased-with-current-pro... "Yamaha CEO Pleased With Current Production Of Jet Skis, Alto Saxophones, Snowmobiles, Power Generators, Scooters, Golf Carts"

dfex 3y ago

These companies are informally known as Zaibatsu[1] - massive vertically integrated conglomerates. They produce literally everything they need to sustain themselves, so you'll find them running (say) an outsourced IT services business that services all their business units (from Car manufacturing, Aerospace to Restaurant chains) as they often avoid doing business with each other if possible. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaibatsu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaibatsu

Dalewyn 3y ago
>as they often avoid doing business with each other if possible. That culture is actually starting to change, because that domestic rivalry/hostility has been the chief reason Japan lost the competition against American, South Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese manufacturers in recent decades. Can't fight on the world stage if you're busy fighting each other on home turf, y'know?

freetime2 3y ago

I wasn’t sure it was the same Suzuki (it’s a common family name), but sure enough according to Wikipedia [1]: > In 1909, Michio Suzuki (1887–1982) founded the Suzuki Loom Works in the small seacoast village of Hamamatsu, Japan. Business boomed as Suzuki built weaving looms for Japan's giant silk industry. In 1929, Michio Suzuki invented a new type of weaving machine, which was exported overseas. The company's first 30 years focused on the development and production of these machines. Not only is it the same company, but it started out as a loom company! That being said, Suzuki Motor Corporation is actually a fairly small company (market cap ~$18.5B) that mainly sticks to building automobiles. Not to be confused with something like the Mitsubishi Group that provides a wide range of different products and services (automobiles, banking, home appliances, etc) under the same brand logo [2]. [1]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki [2]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Group https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Group