The web of japanese contractors

[theophile]

Hashimoto (some post-Alpine Luxman 1990s CDPs)
T.Sound (Alpine/Lux AL-5 & AL-7 systems [including the k7 recorders !], K-113X, some post-Alpine Luxman 1990s CDPs like D-700s ; Sansui CDPs & compacts [CDV-550R or 900CDR series, AV-X77], Pioneer mixers and A-3R amp, Aurex SC-P70(H), PC-500R, XR-501R /601M, XB-500 /1500, Clarion MC-1500A, DA-1020A)
KTH (Clarion ML-4200A)
Uratsu (Clarion MA-6200A)
IYOKU (Clarion MP-3000A ; also with a CEC T-tag...)
AEIC (Clarion MD-4000A, MT-9000A, MA-4040A)
TGE (Luxman TT-10, Sharp SM-5)
Aimor (founded march 15, 1962 ; post-AZDEN Luxman amps and integrated but also the current DA-100 /200 converters ; also builds for Yamaha [consumer a/v and pro], Nissha Laboratory Inc (launched by ex-Luxman Nishimura-san), Victor and Clarion)
Goto D.S. (post-AZDEN Luxman preamps, CDPs and phono EQ/amps ; one of the first to see the switch from AZDEN to Goto DS is the C-5 preamp so late '97.)
Yokohama B.S. (part of the present day Luxman ; the rest is in China)

 

[theophile]

AZDEN
Active since 1952.
Its very recognizable T-tag logo (a circle holding a slanted "P" with a dash next to it) originally described the Piezoelectric cartridges it manufactured when the company was still named "Piezo". Although the name was rapidly changed to Atsuden and then ultimately AZDEN, the original logo was however kept intact until about 1999.
Built almost all of Luxman's post-Alpine production starting with the A-008 in 1990 and the 300 series in 1992/93 and everything else until about 1998/99.
Also a contractor to Yamaha (EQ-M77, MX-M70, A100 /100a, AST-A5 for instance), Onkyo (A-V1000PRO, ME-1, ME-50, MQ-1000, PE-33 /77X), Aurex (MX-10), Kenwood (MX-71), Sansui (AX-3 /3S), Victor (PS-A1004, PA-33), Bose (200SR-HI), Aiwa (GE-80) and for many more.
Big advertiser throughout the late 1950s and the whole of the 1960s ; more discreet after that. Had its own lineups of cartridges/tonearms/ 'phones/mixers (70s/80s), pro and semi-pro gear (80s) but advertised for them very little - OEM/ODM business obviously was far more lucrative.
> http://www.azden.com/about/

Below, the Azden T-tag, on the back of the Luxman C-08 :

... and the same, back of the Yamaha A100a :

 

[theophile]

TSDK (most of the Luxman L•G sub-brand ; Luxman L-606 [branded L•G outside Japan], L•G R3600SL)
YAGI (or "YAGI.D" ; Luxman & Micro VS pumps, Onkyo MA-1000, PA-300, A-817RX ; Yagi later on made sattelite receivers...)
Shinagawa Denki (Sanyo/OTTO like DCA-401, DCA-A15, FMT-401, DCW-M5000)
Tokushuseiki (Marantz CD-72, PM-80a ; JVC amps like AX-S313 /MXA3, XL-E7700, DX-EV5 and Karaoke towers, PC-R3 ; Fostex HP-A8)
M&SE (90s Marantz tubed components like the Model-66 and 7/8/9 reissues [which also were T-tagged by the normal MJI])
CHUBUEC (Marantz [Esotec] Ad-5 and Aj-5 ; Chubuec also made large and very sophisticated show-room switchers...)
Gekko Laboratory (Marantz Ad-6 ; first run)
Exceltronics Corporation (Marantz Ad-6 ; second run)
S&R (1970s Marantz like Model 140)
TEI (Marantz)

 

[theophile]

Sonic (or "SON" at first ; Luxman 1976-1981 tuners, from the 5T10, T-90 /40A /50A /300x to the T-1/ T-5 series and T-12)

FEC (L&G T1200, Luxman/Alpine F-105 & G-007 ; Sony SRP-P1010, MU-A301 /C301, JVC AX-K7 ; the Sony components were commissioned/ordered to FEC by the Sony SoundTec division as the latter's logo is always present on the back stickers...)

DO (JVC GX-500 /550, JR-X6, CA-Q2 /G6, MCM/MCA-105, MCA-V7, MS-503, SE-A100E /5100, TE-7400, early run of XL-Z1000A ; quite probably a Victor subsidiary.)
AIC (Aurex TTS like SR-510, Sansui TTs like FD-2080A, Kenwood TTs like SS-72X, Akai tuners like AT-K04 /K22)
Seiwa K (or simply "Seiwa" ; Lo-D/Hitachi DM-D50, D-MD11 /55 /7, DW-510 ; Columbia SS-630)
TAIEI (Lo-D/Hitachi D-400)
Kyoritsu (Lo-D/Hitachi HA-M30A /MD30 /MD55)
Kyushu Hitachi Maxell (!) (Lo-D/Hitachi ET-300)
MRK (a heck of a lot of Lo-D/Hitachi units like FT-M50, HA-M50, FT-202, HRD-200K /500K, HA-MD1, A-3800...)

 

[theophile]

Kurume Denshi
(or "Kurume Densi")
Founded may 1968 in Koriyama for audio contracting purposes with specific subsidiaries opened in '72 (audio, in Kawanuma) and '76 (medical, in Yokoyama).
Assembles the Teac K7 decks since '72, made the early Teac ZD-7000, cheaper items like the CD-Z500 later on, and most of the Teac/Esoteric VRDS bestsellers (X-10W /WD, VRDS-10 /10SE /7 /8 /9 /20 /25 /T1 /P-30).
Also builds for others like Sansui since september 1969, Columbia/Denon, Mitsubishi (1980s), Sony (1990s electron guns), Toa (k7 like FD-90 or FD-20, the latter shared with Teac as W-850R), Pioneer (LD-S9, DV-S737, CDJ-500 series ; today) - etc.

 

[theophile]

Foster Onkyo (active since 1949, well-known Fostex subsidiary setup in 1973 ; active mostly outside hi-fi.
Made a few Sony PA amps and mixers like MU-XA031, MU-A400, SRP-A800 /P1010 or Victor GK-C1000 - all pro items ; also the Victor AX-K66GM) ; T-tag is always "Foster Onkyo", not Fostex.)
YTKK (Fostex A8 /80 /R8 /G16)
K.TECH (Aiwa MX-12)
K.FUJI.E.C. (Aiwa P80 /C80, MIX-4)
K.Churitsu (Aiwa P22)
Tatara Onkoh (Aiwa AFB-10 [APM-like, mini and AC powered])
TENKO (Sony PAS-70N, separate runs of Sony MX-777 /555 /A3 and SEQ-5)
Sekisin (another run of Sony MX-777)
Technica. F (Sony MXK-33 karaoke mixer, Victor XL-Z1000 [!])
AEI (Fostex 2016)
YSD Co. Ltd. (Fostex EN1000)
Matsushin (Sony XV-5000 /3000, one run of TA-515) [a mix between Matsushita and Shin Shirasuna ?-;]
Daigen (last run of Sony TA-2650 [comes in after the c. 50,000th 2650 made at Sony :], last run of Sony TA-515 and TA-11)
Fujikei (Sony PS-250)
MYADO Denshi (some Sony video processors)
Miyago Denshi (some Sony small mixers like SRP-X350, bigga PA amps like SRP-P450 (strangely) or lower-end amps like TA-V725 ; also Kenwood MD players, KX-7030, KAF-7002 and Toshiba k7)
Friend D. (Sony TA-V3, SEH-V5, ST-YX7)
Kyowa DK (or "Kyowa Kogyo" ; one run of Sony TA-313 & ST-313 ; Aurex AD-4 /3 /3S /2, Akai AX-10)
Koshin ELC (Sony SB-V3000)
Kogensya (Sony TA-P77)
N Sowa (or "SOWA", very possibly Sony-owned until the late 1980s : Sony VT-M5, TV-501, FX-102A, SB-V3000, VT-X2R, SRP-400PS.
After that let go and relocated to China doing cheap all-in-ones for badges having become empty in the meantime such as Schneider...)
Wako (Sony PS-LX22 /LX30 /LX55 /LX200, one run of Sony PS-V705 and PS-150 [otherwise all at Sony TsukuBa])
WAKASA (possibly Sony-owned ; Sony TT-V8)
Nigata Seiwa (or "Niigata Seiwa" ; Sony PS-F7 and PS-F3)
MOIMOI S (one run of Sony SB-5335 [otherwise at Sony IZDK], Sony ST-30)

 

[theophile]

Taiheyo K
Puzzling one : a hell of a lot of Yamaha amps starting with the CA-400 and CA-800II, then a continuous stream going up the the late 1980s :
CA-R1 (1977 ; one run only), CA-R11 /V1 /G1 /X1, A-7 /7a /6 /6a /5 /5D /4D /03 /5100 /500 /750a /950 /200X /40, AX-55 /33 /500 /900, MX-35 /101 but also tuner an k7 decks and various other items : TX-77 /100, T-100X, KX-1000 /750a /T900, M-35, K-M77, AST-A10, SR-100X.
There also were some 80s equalizers made for Akai and, later on, top Sony ES CDPs like the CDP-555ESA (which also saw brief runs at Sony's own Sony BP and ASTI) and the CDP-777ESA, the main run of which was at Sony BP.
After a gradual absorption by Yamaha, c. early/mid 1980s, before Yamaha concentrated all its manufacturing in its own factories in Malaysia, Taiheyo K. went to Sony c. 1989 (Yamaha and Sony never worked together) and was quite probably reshuffled/absorbed into the Sony galaxy after that.

Below, the Taiheyo K T-tags, on the back of the 1980s AST-A10 :

 

[theophile]

Osawa KK (Yamaha RM602)
ARUSU (Onkyo PL-33X)
AIREX (Onkyo GPA-300, Toa MD-8)
HS (Onkyo k7 like TA-400)
Sanden (Onkyo C-705X)
Takaya (Onkyo K-V3, Optonica RT-1010)
FALCON CO. Ltd. (JBL Bass 8)
D.Sangyoo (Nakamichi PA-70)
T.Narita (Nakamichi BX-1, BX-125)
HOME DENSHI (NEC, one run of NEC CD-10 ; Nakamichi OMS-20)
HIDE DENSHI (Onkyo tuners like T-415)
G-DEN (NEC AD-700, NEC k7 and ghettoblasters)
Yaguchi (NEC AG-100)
TSE (Sanyo amps, tuners, receivers & turntables)
Seika KK (Yamaha pro like P-2200 /P2100, HC2700 or mixers like EM-85B / EM-120)
Takitsu KK (TOA P-1060D, TA-2060)
ACOUS (TOA P-60F)
Atago Seisagu (NEC A-220)
TOME Denshi (Technics SU-V40)
DNK (Ramsa WP-9600 /9201 /1200A)

 

[theophile]

Denkai
Quite possibly [but not necessarily] Columbia-owned.
Denon PMA-1090G, AVC-1030G, Columbia ST-50, nearly all Denon and Columbia k7 products but also the Nakamichi SR-40, Hitachi HA-V6 and Sharp TU-AM1.
(T. Denkai tag, back of a Denon DR-L2.)

 

[theophile]

Shin Shirasuna / Silver
Semi-major OEM provider who built all of Harman/Kardon's hi-fi components between 1976/77 and the 1990s, often duplicating them under its own "Silver" brand.
ShinShi did import in Japan during the mid 70s German ITT Schaub-Lorenz receivers like the SRX75 (with german scripting kept !) before starting in earnest its h/k "collaboration" in '76 [H/K previously used "Crown Radio Company" for its Japan-made units such as the 900+ Quad receiver].
ShinShi probably built for others aplenty but I have yet to see its very recognizable T-Tag placed on something else than H/K's or Silver's... but for some late 1980s Hitachi CDPs (DA-404D) and early 1990s a/v amps (HA-F5).
Apparently renamed/reshuffled and absorbed by Hitachi in more recent years - CQFD.

Below, the ShinShi T-tag, back of the Citation X-1 and hk825 :

 

[theophile]

Proton /NAD
Founded 1974 in Korea, Proton built all of UK-based and 1972-founded NAD's output between 1974 and 1994 ; some of the very early NAD was actually made in Japan but the prod. quickly moved to Taiwan after c. '76/77.
Proton decided midway to have its own lineup but without going full-tilt : that's why the 1982-1994 Proton production is essentially resdesigned NAD.
Outside of this, Proton basically was a design and/or assembly outfit with (sub-)contractor capacities, building for -among others- Lenco or Uher later in the 1980s. Just one example :
Proton D1200 = Lenco AF3310 = Uher UMA-400. And from the same mold (but cheaper inside and outside : no sharkfins, single EI trafo instead of dual R-core) came the Palladium LA-1200... which also was a... Life LA-1200 !
Apparently, Braun's 301 and 501 series were designed by Braun, of course, but built by Proton.

 

[theophile]

Shiseido (Pioneer, 1960s)
SRE (early Pioneer receivers like ES-1000)
TOA Denki (CLD-R7G)
S. Marukô (Pioneer LDs like CLD-Z1 or CLD-R7G)
River Stone (Pioneer karaoke, mixers)
Aito KK (Pioneer CDPs like PD-X630 /X750T)
AGURO G (Pioneer CDPs like PD-M760 /M560 /M520 /AP1)
Mikado (Pioneer LD, A-J7 amp)
Below, the Mikado :

 

[theophile]

Asahi Onkyo.K (Pioneer CDPs)
Asahi Corp. (NEC CD-816)
Furukawa Denshi (Pioneer SA-6000, SC-1800II, MA-10R)
Yoshikawa DK (Pioneer BodySonic BSA-8)
KHS (many many 1970s Pioneer TTs, up to the PL-707, 505 & PL-5L)
Hachiohzi DK (Pioneer k7 like CT-5000 /315 /55T /3000 [aka T-3050 /3050M])
SAN-EI Denshi (or "San-Ei T" or "SAN-EI Electric" ; Akai AP-Q04 /M7 /D40C, UC-A5 ; Diatone LT-400 ; Kenwood GE-5J ; Pioneer MR-3000)

SKC Kogyo or "SKC" later on
(Pioneer k7 like CT-6 /5 /5D /400M /600M /405 /4040A /500 /7000 and amps like SA-7500 but also the Sony SRP-CT1 and MU-D100, and many Akai k7 & CDPs like CD-A30, GX-73 /93 /R6 /R65CX /R70EX, HX-R40 /M313W...)

 

[theophile]

Cybernet
Major provider for almost everybody but the top lineups ; very recognizable and oh-so 70s-ish T-tag logo. Also dipped into production under its own name but never really cared for it.
Partly owned by Kyocera from 1979 onward, fully merged into it in 1982, and dissolved when Kyocera stopped all audio activities in 1989.
Teac separates and V-800X among others, all 1982-1988 Kyocera production, Kenwood [A-M70], Nakamichi's 1983-1987 CDPs, KLH electronics throughout the 1970s (R-301 for instance), most of the post-1979 dbx [DAV-600G, Model 10/5, DX-900 (aka Kyocera DA-9CX)...] and its audio dynamics sub-brand (aka ADC) - and a million other components.

Below, the Cybernet logo on the dbx SS-115X :

... on the AT AT-TU50 tuner :

 

[theophile]

SOC (Sansui amps like AU-888, BA-60, BA-100, TAC-505, SAX-350D, QR-1500)
NDS (Sansui amps like AU-777D, BA-60 and BA-90)
AZUMI (Sansui amps like AU-D907X Decade /707XCD /607X /A607i /A707i /A507i /A707Extra /D507X /A707L /A777DG /A909 /E710 but also k7 decks like SC-A33 ; Aiwa CDS-505). Murata has a subsidiary specialized in EMI suppression filters named "Azumi Murata" in Nagano but I doubt they are or were the same.)
ARS DK (Sansui amps like A-515, the latter also seeing a run at regular "Sansui")
Nagano D (Sansui dual-k7 and amp like A-M7 or AU-D55F, timers like AT-212)
Miharu DK (Sansui A-M90 ; also active with Onkyo)
S.Kokusai (Sansui TTs like P-D31)
Kokusai Denshi (Denon DR-F6)
Shinetsu (Sansui TTs like P-E300 /E302 /E710 /M70 /L75)
ORION (Sansui SE-9, A-5001 /3001)
MSC (Sansui TTs like SR-3030)

 

[theophile]

KNSK (Teac k7 like V-9000 /8000S /7000 /7010 /5000, R-9000 /540 /606X /515 ; CDs like ZD-1000 /5000 /6000, Denon DR-F8 ; Kenwood KX-7X, A-1001, DM-1001, KA-1001G)
Below, tags for part of the "1001" Kenwood series, true bestsellers in Japan, and same series (know as "K's" in Japan) as the GE-1001 example outlined at the top of this page.
The MD deck was made by "KNSK" - more than very possibly a Sony outfit... but we're in the mid 90s here and Sony had dropped its typical tag design 15 years earlier so this either was a resurgence, or an outfit which took its independence at that time (I doubt it) or... something Sony kept on the side for specific, and rare, business deals ?

 

[theophile]

Kyonan Seiki (Kenwood k7 like KX-3700G /4500 /800 ; Pioneer EQs like SG-100 ; one run of Sony SEQ-V9900) [same as KNSK ?]
Suzuki M KNSK (or "Suzuki M" ; perhaps the same as above ; Fostex D-20 MK2 DAT, Teac k7 like F-300)
MINAMI (Teac pro and dbX units like DX-2A, Technics SL-1600 /2000 /Q3)
KOYO D (Teac k7 like R-646X)
KEI (Teac k7 like 122MKIII [the MKII was made in Taiwan], V-7 /2RX /4RX /8 /750 /909RX /7010, R-919X, F-200, A-420, W-440C, Z-5000 /7000, also the Tascam 112MKII and 234 ; also the DA-25 DAT)

 

[theophile]

Tokyo Sound
Founded 1959 ; still under research but, like Entre, Supex or Audio Craft, Tokyo Sound (real name : "Guya Co. Ltd") also employed between 1959 and 1966 Mr Y. Matsudaira (Supex between 1967 and 1977, Audio Craft from 1981 onward) ; Matsudaira-san also collaborated with Koetsu.
Like the others, Tokyo Sound was very active at designing tonearms, cartridges and phono stages, for itself and for others like the NHK ; apparently still active today. Its T-tag simply reads "Sound", circled by an oval.
(Btw, Entre [or "entré"] didn't vanish but became MySonic Lab in 2003 - with Matsudaira-san again.


Yosin KK (Yamaha receivers like CR-400 and amps like A-3 ; one run of Sony TA-434 /242 /150)
SDK (Yamaha YOP-1)
Hamadenko KK (Yamaha GQ2015)
Yamamoto Tusin (k7 like Yamaha K-5, TC-3 /511B /511S ; Kenwood KX-600)
ASTI (some Sony CDPs which were otherwise Sony Taiheyo K or Sony BP ; Yamaha MX-101)
NICHIWA S (TOWA-rebranded Teac pro k7 like TCC-5000W)
Tokyo Ko-On Denpa (high-end attenuators for Pioneer Exclusive, Micro, Luxman ; still active today)
Tokyo TR KK (Optonica ST-1010)
TTS (UHER separates like Z140, Diatone k7 like DT-32P, Yamaha MS-1000, Akai AA-M30)
HYKW (Yamaha DTR-2 [=rebadge of the DTC-1000ES] but also Nasa getthoblasters like DJ-573
SDK (Yamaha YOP-1)
NKY (Onkyo A-805 /3900 /817D /5500 /7900 /G5, PA-M7 /X1, PT-X1) ("NKY" is oNKYo without the two Os...)
Jelco (SA-250 tonearm ; standalone versions made for CEC, Sumiko, Feickert, Hino Audio, Bell Dream, Ortofon, Luxman and a million others as built-in - see here : viewtopic.php?f=1490&t=1832

 

[theophile]

Brand-owned factories/corporations/outfits :

Alpine, Alpine EK & ALPS
Major parts manufacturer which gradually morphed into OEM supplier after the late 1970s ; ALPS also made most of the tuner varicaps used by JP manufacturers.
Bought Luxman in full and built for it between november 1983 and 1994... and almost everybody else since the 1950s, even if only with pots, sliders, switches, car and home CC mechanisms
Factories were scattered everywhere with a center in Saitama, where CEC, Akai, Sansui, Micro and many others were as well...
Like NAD or Rotel, Alpine also produced its own lineups (CC recorders only) but they were strictly for export, whether in "Alpine" or "Alpage" guises. DAT drives were used by (mainly) Teac, Tascam, Fostex, Sharp, Nakamichi, possibly Otari as well.

Alpine tags are simple : ALPS, ALPINE or ALPINE EK, the latter only used for the last runs of Luxman LX-360, LV-107U, L-570, L-540, DP-07 and DA-07.

 

[theophile]

Columbia/Denon
Columbia is the origin, DenOn the later front name ; DenOn was by far the most present advertiser in Japan between the early 1970s up to the mid 1990s.
Production-wise, Columbia was originally (1960s/70s) delegated to low-end duties (compacts, boomboxes, small turntables etc) but the tag is the one found on most DH series open-reel (some based on TEAC drives) and many late 70s/1980s turntables like the DP-6700 (but the DP-6000 itself is Denon-tagged...), DP-47F or DP-59L/M, the latter also seing T.O.C. T-tags...
After the launch of CD, Columbia handled many Denon CDPs (high & low) and Denon all the rest. It's the same company in the end, just different routes regarding contracts, manufacturing and distribution.

Denon also built in the late 1980s for Hitachi with the Lo-D HA-9100D digital integrated amp which was a straight rebadge of the PMA-890D, down to the functions scripting ; also the Lo-D DAT-8000 which was a DTR-2000G (both with a Matsushita RAA1001 mechanism and the DA-505D which was a DCD-1290. Matsushita also provided Columbia with several lineups of LD players.
Worth noting, several early to mid 1970s PMA-xxx models have a very striking proximity with Monarch models.

Between 1970 and 1979, Columbia also organized a mainly-export (and mainly Europe) outfit to manufacture and distribute low-end lineups ; these components all have a sort of "pearly" logo (a round black dot is added to each D E N O N letter and the font is completely different) and were often made by KWAI (GA-65 for instance but also compacts, all-in-ones, turntables, receivers - etc). Some of these were released in Japan under the "LSA" brand name, before the DenOn outfit took over the "serious" audio segment of the entire Columbia production.
Strangely, for once, that KWAI T-tag was not omitted despite the fact all this was export-only ! This was probably set by Columbia to cash in on the Denon name without lowering the original brand itself. However, all components bear the "11" serial number prefix which denoted "in-house" Denon until the mid 1980s... Maybe a mix between Columbia and Monarch initiated by an ambitious Hong Kong marketing engineer.
Denon had another secondary/lesser lineup (PMA-255 for instance) which bore a very different scripting close the Fraktur font family (odd choice), the components of which had a "12" s/n prefix.

Recently, unlike Marantz since the second D&M sale, Denon has kept its own "Denon" T-tag, but builds more and more in China (like Marantz...).

CKK (Denon DP-50L/M /55L /60L/M /790 /1800 /30F, DRS-230 /300 /370 ; possibly independent at first then integrated into Columbia.)
T.O.C (Columbia, Denon CDPs, DP-59L/M, PMA-300V /390 /590 /715RG /1000G, TU-400 /290G /7.5E /7.5S, DRS-810G, SE-15 compact, AVC-700 ; also LSA sub-brand k7, Diatone compacts like MC-160, Hitachi a/v receivers like HA-V7 /V1 and amps like HA-9100D)
T-Denkai (Columbia, Denon CDPs and almost all Denon k7, PMA-1090 /1090G /1000II /S10II but also the... Nakamichi SR-40 or Hitachi HA-V6)
Niccol (or "Nicol" later on ; Nippon Columbia subsidiary producing in Taiwan, Korea, and now China Korea ; Denon CDPs and DP-38F, TU-F10G, Columbia CDV-550... but also Hitachi all-in-ones like HRT-231)
Kitsuregawa (DP-60M, DP-30L)
Columbia M (DP-51F /31F, DP-67L /67M)