Manufacturers, Distributors Reading JNS Forum

[maihama eki]

Do you think that the manufacturers (Kato, Tomix, etc.) or distributors (Hobby Search, Ami-Ami, ModelTrainPlus, etc.) read this forum?

 

I think it could be pretty valuable information/feedback for them.

[cteno4]

I’ve often wondered! A few times I started on a Tomytec detail like the food carts and mentioned what I was doing here and boom a couple of months later they were announced!

 

we did do some investigation to the main ones on photo usage and they just acted like who? what? And not Interested really in what the forum might do for them. I’m guessing we are a very small and exotic bit of their overall market and sure several similar Japanese forums that would be more squarely on their markets.

 

Jeff

[Yavianice]

I've asked several people at KATO Japan I met at the fairs and they did not know about JNS. Seems KATO is very active on Twitter, however.

[Kiha66]

I suspect Kato is the Japanese model company most active outside Japan, and even then I don't think they really care much about exports.  I remember hearing that kato USA is less than 5% of their sales, and even they are the red headed stepchild to any Japanese release they do.   It seems a lot of the more interesting non-Japanese releases are also tied to how well kato japan thinks they will sell within japan as well.

[bill937ca]

I've heard the Kato USA line is American releases wanted by the core Japanese market.

[cteno4]

An acquaintance use to work with Kato USA did not seem to indicate that japan sales influenced KatoUSA releases all that much. Mr Kato of course has many US train interests so im sure this sways this all some! they do seem to go for the heart of the US market for the most part.

 

Ive heard the figure closer to 20% for katousa and there is a limit on how big they get.

 

ill email him and see what he says.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[chadbag]

I would have to imagine that Kato USA does a good amount of business as they are one of the top brands in US N scale.  When I go into the LHSs that have trains, KATO is always very well represented.

 

Of course, the US model train market is probably small compared to the Japanese market as it is mostly old retired guys in the US 🙂

 

[katoftw]

Doubtful. JNS is very small.

[cteno4]

So I heard back from my acquaintance about Kato and it turns out My memory was wrong, Kato japan and the japan market does drive a lot of Katousa production decisions apparently. Makes it hard on KatoUSA to mesh up with us market. Also production minimums are set a Japanese levels and more focus on consists (the Japanese train way) than American trains and markets tend to be. It does sound like a very strange over all setup on how the relationship functions, some really interesting stories he has. Katousa is a fixed percentage of Kato japan business and controlled, but he wouldn’t give a figure on what or potential it could do.

 

Jeff