chewybrian 

Sourcing components for my new bike, several times I got this comment:

"That part is mostly/just for the JDM (Japanese domestic market)."

I found that I was able to get all those parts with some effort, even if I had to order from Japan directly. But, what is the story about cycling in Japan? Are they keeping the good stuff to themselves? Is Tokyo like Portland on steroids or what?

Has anyone ridden or attended events over there? Does anyone know some good sites that show what is going on?

Having seen some of their game shows, I am understandably curious...

Wildwood 

Portland is too laid back for steroids.
KEEP Portland WEIRD

game_player_s

Do you seriously not know TC... Well, I hope this proves insightful then.

You Tube

You Tube

hat and beard

Cycling in Tokyo is in no way like Portland. There is almost zero cycling infrastructure (aside from a few needlessly high tech parking garages) and motorists tend to be oblivious to the needs of cyclists (though generally not malicious like it can be in the states). Tokyo certainly has a cycling sub culture, but the vast majority of people use bicycles for short trips to the supermarket and that's it. In general I would say you see fewer road bikes and mountain bikes in Tokyo than in any major American or European city.

Check the Tokyo Cycling Club web forum for a window into what it's like.

bulldog1935

CYCLES GRAND BOIS / ****************************************??

chewybrian 

I only have a vague impression. I had seen the underground parking before--very cool.

Very nice.

St33lWh33ls

When I saw this I laughed uncontrollably for about 15 minutes. I was thinking how I could improve some of my sprint segment times. This made me realize I just need some Kobe beef, a Komodo dragon, and some string.

I just hope the string doesn't foul my cassette or I'll be serving up steak tartare.

game_player_s

My point was that the "JDM" is quite extensive. Most Japanese households, in general not exclusively limited to Tokyo, have one or more bicycles used for commuting on a regular basis, hence why they have all those parking areas and garages dedicated expressly for bicycles (not limited to just Tokyo). Even their pop-culture exports (animation and comics) frequently portray cycling as a common means of everyday transportation.

https://www.tofugu.com/japan/bicycle-japan/

14 things never to do on a bicycle in Japan with new traffic laws | RocketNews24

repechage

Take a commuter train out of a major city and the sea of bicycles parked under a huge long shed roof is amazing.
Equally amazing is the lack of oil on any of the bikes' drive chains. Maintenance? No

coolkat

Take a quick look at some of the Japanese websites for bike brands. Raleigh and Miyata are two great examples that both offer spectacular steel bikes for the Japanese market, complete with 100% retro/reproduction 70s decals

https://www.miyatabike.com/project/sport/
https://www.raleigh.jp/bikes2016

T-Mar

Bicycles can vary substantially from one market to the next, as bicycles are typically spec'd by the domestic distributor to suit his market's preference. To put the OP's dilemma in the proper context we'd need to known exactly which parts he is trying to source.

TenGrainBread 

This feature on Circles bike shop in Nagoya shows some good insight into a subset of Japanese cycle culture and the changes it is going through right now. Mention of Sim Works too which is important when talking about the kind of parts you might be interested in.
Shaping Cycling Culture in Nagoya with Circles Japan | The Radavist

There's a really rich connection between the American custom builder community and shops like Circles in Japan.

The Radavist has some other nice features from his trip to Japan that are very interesting.
The Circles Japan Personal Bike Show | The Radavist
In the Mountains of Asuke for the Chris King Gourmet Century Japan | The Radavist

chewybrian 

I am building a century, or fast rando bike. I ordered a steel Bob Jackson frame (at the chromers now), and intend to build it with new, but classically styled, components. My priorities were mostly durability and looks. Some of the components I got:

Grand Bois rims, Sun XCD hub rear, SP dyno front, Sun xcd cranks with TA rings, Sun xcd front and rear derailleurs, Nitto Noodle bars with Nitto Craft stem, Brooks Team Pro saddle, Berthoud fenders...

I got an idea somewhere along the line that Japan had more good stuff to offer than I was finding, though I did get some of it.

bulldog1935

here's our own little Japan in Berkeley
Building Toei and Ebisu bikes, and great accessories

chewybrian 

That's very much along the lines of what I'm building up, but mine is a little more "Hetchins-y".

bulldog1935

and of course the Japanese mostly followed the French in their bike designs - even the JIS crank taper was a copy of the French taper.