Japanese can be the finest technicians, but when it comes to offering up individuality as designers along with it, unless specifically schooled in the vocations that require it and thus have awakened that part of their brains, or are lucky just born with talent, they are hard pressed to design their way out of a wet paper bag. I mean no disrespect, but those are the basic educational influences at work here. Everyone is required to ride the same type of bike to junior and senior high school, no deviations from the norm or you get into trouble. It's changing very slowly.
Dennis Young
Hotaka, Japan
> snipped:
> "One would think that the workmanship and artistic values of these "workshop
> arts" would carry over to a basically handmade
> object like the bicycle."
>
>
> my rationale:
> fuji and panasonic were industrially made products.
> kind of like the pottery, textiles, and woodwork at ikea.
> e-RICHIE
> chester, ct