In the 1960's the main Asian imports are from Japan. Major names like Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi, Toshiba, and Sanyo later became household names for the American consumer. As time went on they had become known for quality, good price and stylish. However there were many lessor known names that were originally made in Japan but their existence is often based on get a stylish product out make a profit then get out. Name brands like Juliette, Lloyds, Viscount, and Realtone were often name brands of import/export companies, that pushed low price and volume to make a profit. By the late 1960's these lessor brands often went to other countries like Hong Kong, Okinawa and Taiwan to improve their profit margin. In time even the major Japanese brands like American manufacturers earlier, resorted to importing their parts and assemblies from other parts of Asia to stay in competition.
A Class by Itself
Toshiba Baseball Radio
Toshiba Corporation
Founded in 1939 as a merger of two Japanese electric companies. between Shibaura Seisaku-sho (founded in 1875) and Tokyo Denki (founded in 1890). Toshiba is a household name in Japan and has long been viewed as a symbol of the country's technological prowess. They were the first Japanese manufacturer to be licensed by Western Electric to design and manufacture transistors.A Portable Table Transistor Radio
About Hitachi Ltd,
The company is active in a range of industries, including digital systems, power and renewable energy solutions, railway systems, healthcare products, and financial systems. Founded in 1910 in Ibaraki Prefecture by electrical engineer Namihei Odaira, Hitachi's first product was Japan's inaugural 4-kilowatt induction motor, designed for copper mining.Originally an in-house venture of Fusanosuke Kuhara's mining company, Hitachi became independent in 1911 and moved its headquarters to Tokyo in 1918. The company's name 'Hitachi', combining the kanji for 'sun' (日, hi) and 'rise' (立, tachi), was coined by Odaira. (from Wikipedia)By the mid 1960's radios were being made from other parts of Asia, notably Hong Kong, Taiwan and Okinawa. Radios coming out of these areas were for the most part low cost and lower quality sets, that appealed to bargain conscious consumers. These sets were often found at discount stores, drug stores and even food markets. In general radios coming from here were generic models with the brand name added on.
A Personal Note
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