Something that has always bothered me about the Japanese market...

[Shambles]

I have not looked at Japan for near 20 years or more but the last time I looked, a living space in Tokyo could cost about U.S. $2,500.00 per month and that was about 80 square meters. You guys in the States are not the only commuters. Back then a dime bought a lot in some places. You probably get a small taste of that if you drive to Mexico and avoid the tourist places but spend time in the native spaces with native food. The place I mentioned seeing a caged bedspace for rent as a living space was Hong Kong.

 

Japanese workers are not as bad off as I make it sound. They get very good benefits that they earn by being loyal and good workers to their employer, if the employer stays in business. That's why Japanese workers work so meticulously for their employers. They beome investors in the company and lose the benefits if they leave or transfer to another. As a matter of fact, young graduates choose the companies they apply for very carefully as that is often a lifetime career choice. I think it's much better than the benefits give the U.S. Auto workers but I'm not sure. The Japanese worker does have a tremendous amount of work to do to keep his job and the ones who described it to me made me glad I wasn't born Japanese. I doubt I would want to work that hard for anyone but myself. But then life can be really hard in so many places in the world. There is no lack of needy.

 

 

 

Shambles

[Butz]

I just want to add something...

 

Japanese products sold in Japan are really expensive becoz of their economic trade policies + Protectionism & ethnocentricism.

 

In other words, if you buy a LCD TV in Japan, the LCD TV will cost higher in Japan than buying it overseas. I do not know why they are doing this but I remember after WWII, the Japanese government set these stringent tarriffs to prevent their people in spending and would rather let their people save money.

 

So if we out this in Japanese golfing context, their Golf clubs are really very expensive vis-a-vis American made/brand golf clubs.

 

While others do not mind paying for premium Japanese clubs like Honma Beres clubs, i am glad they do not short changed the buyers/ or end users in terms of quality. Unlike in China, the PROC people have a different way of doing business.

 

Now to the questions, i guess what bothers me in Japanese made products are...

It is expensive and may end up being a non-conforming clubs. I think it is such a waste of money when you thought you could show off your Golf toys to other people and couldn't because it is non-conforming. How sad

[jamo]

I have not looked at Japan for near 20 years or more but the last time I looked, a living space in Tokyo could cost about U.S. $2,500.00 per month and that was about 80 square meters.

 

Geez, that's terrible. That's only 861 sq feet. Ouch.

[GolfSpy Dave]

I just want to add something...

 

Japanese products sold in Japan are really expensive becoz of their economic trade policies + Protectionism & ethnocentricism.

 

In other words, if you buy a LCD TV in Japan, the LCD TV will cost higher in Japan than buying it overseas. I do not know why they are doing this but I remember after WWII, the Japanese government set these stringent tarriffs to prevent their people in spending and would rather let their people save money.

 

So if we out this in Japanese golfing context, their Golf clubs are really very expensive vis-a-vis American made/brand golf clubs.

 

While others do not mind paying for premium Japanese clubs like Honma Beres clubs, i am glad they do not short changed the buyers/ or end users in terms of quality. Unlike in China, the PROC people have a different way of doing business.

 

Now to the questions, i guess what bothers me in Japanese made products are...

It is expensive and may end up being a non-conforming clubs. I think it is such a waste of money when you thought you could show off your Golf toys to other people and couldn't because it is non-conforming. How sad

Thanks Butz for your perspective. Being closer to the Japanese market or at least in a non-US market gives you insight that I do not have.

As for the non-conforming, maybe the purpose is the showing off. I have heard that because of the cost of play, many Japanese golfers are restricted to playing on the driving range. I believe that Golf Digest or one of the magazines addressed this a few issues ago.

 

Here is an interesting article on non-conforming clubs from this month. http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/2010-03/golf-johnson-equipment-0301

[Shambles]

The only time that the golfing public embraced a non conforming club was when the Ping Eye 2 was declared non conforming by the USGA. The simple view would have been because of the square grooves introduced by Ping but my view there is that the public felt the convoluted measurement system that the USGA came out with which singled Ping out was what led to the revolt with the pocket power. In short, the golfing public embraced Ping and in the process made Ping a giant, because they felt the USGA was unfair. Further proof of public sentiment was 3 mock jury trials that the USGA lost each and every time, causing them to sue for a settlement.

 

Regardless of how the current rollback is unpleasant, and the declaration of a host of Drivers as non conforming, the general golfing public does not consider the situation unfair so I doubt there will be another revolt anytime soon. I'm reasonably certain that anyone using non conforming equipment will be looked upon as a player who does not follow the rules and will not be all that well received. At best he will face some ribbing from his friends and at worst he will be marked for future protest in case he enters a tournament.

 

 

Shambles

[GolfSpy Dave]

Regardless of how the current rollback is unpleasant, and the declaration of a host of Drivers as non conforming, the general golfing public does not consider the situation unfair so I doubt there will be another revolt anytime soon. I'm reasonably certain that anyone using non conforming equipment will be looked upon as a player who does not follow the rules and will not be all that well received. At best he will face some ribbing from his friends and at worst he will be marked for future protest in case he enters a tournament.

 

 

Shambles

Well said. This is sort of the core division in the game. I can easily see someone who only plays casual with his friends looking for the nonconforming edge. There were a bunch of Cleveland HiboreXL non-conforming rolling around there for a while. The Cameron Futura Mid also comes to mind as a club that is used casually in it's nonconforming configuration. Buddy rounds are based upon buddy rules in many cases.

 

If you play tournament golf, even charity tournaments, you need to use conforming equipment, period.