Yeah, I'll admit it. I have no idea what this stands for.

My best guess: New Japanese Steel?

For that matter, what's up with NOS? New Old Stock? That's confusing.

Nihon Jitensha something. Japanese Bicycle Association. Edit - Shinkokai.

NOS = New Old Stock

NJS it's something like Nippon something something, it's Japanese words, means stuff is certified for use in Keirin racing, it's a VERY GOOD recommendation. Kinda like going to your local sporting goods store and seeing stuff certified for use in the Superbowl. Good stuff.

on a side note, why are the japanese goods in English, i.e. "NJS" instead of a bunch of japanese symbols, or Sugino or Suzue or whatever? Are they Japanese characters in Japan? Or are they still using the Roman Alphabet on those things. Just curious. But it seems silly to have two separate production runs for stamping different languages on cranks and stuff. Maybe the exports are bigger than the domestic market and hence the English...

blabbityblahbalbbhalbhjablh.

I always thought about that too.

Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai is the transliteration of three Japanese words into the latin alphabet. The Japanese often use roman letters for abbreviations, even in Japan. No, there are not separate production runs.

yeah the use of English characters is strange - especially because they only certify Japanese products that are to be raced solely in Japan.

Maybe the Japanese think english is cooler.

Consider the difference in complexity and size of everything when stamping their mark on a part. Would you rather stamp something with 'NJS' or with something like 日本自転車新古会. Those last three characters are more or less a guess (it's what Kotoeri is giving me), but you get the idea.

i think it would be just one simple character - that would be so dope

You can't really abbreviate Kanji like you can English words, though, so it would tricky.

but still, New Old Stock it a funny little term, isn't it? i mean, i pretty much understand that it means un-used old stock, like a frame from the 1980's that got moved into a backroom to make room for new stock or whathaveyou, but it still strikes me as an odd term.

I think it's an ebayism. "NOS" is easier to type then "we've had this thing hanging around since it was new, but nobody's bought it yet."

Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai = Japanese Bicycle Assocation. The Japanese have been using English for years as part of their language, it has been over 150 yrs.

S/F<
CEYA!

My old NJS Nitto Aluminum bars had a bunch of Japanese (i assume, but who knows, they could be anything for all I know) characters on 'em.

yes they do. some has Nitto in Japanese some don't. I will look at mine and translate what I could and post it.

S/F<
CEYA!

Mine don't

no, they think engrish is cooler. https://www.engrish.com/

on another note, i think nihon has sort of replaced nippon in everyday japanese colloquy.

Yeah right, that term was only created after ebay arose

"new" is easier to type than "we just got this product that was only manufactured recently and just came onto the market" as well.

My guess is that the term is a bit older especially since its so universally used.

Correct!
In the late 1800s, Japan, in an attempt to industrialize, studied and adopted heavily from Europe, especially the UK.

The Japanese had long admired the English Navy, specifically, their colonial accomplishments (although, for the English, they all failed). Like Japan, England is isolated by water with little to no resources. Yet, for a time, it could be said that "the sun never sets on English Isle."

The Japanese are well known for taking a good idea and making it better. In the early 1900 the Japanese Navy practically owned the South Pacific to include parts of Russia and China. Had we (US) not cut the Japanese off from their Dutch oil supply (the primary reason Japan attacked Pearl harbor) who knows what the South Pacific would like today.

"NOS" was around before Ebay, but Ebay sure popularized it.

DF,

the english to a certain level but the french, which a french designer built Yokosuka Naval base at the request of the Japanese Shogun and his assistant . It changed when the US Fleet arrived with Commodore Perry in 1853. That was one of the reasons of the attack of pearl harbor.. We an discuss offline history.



S/F,
CEYA!

Well, that's certainly one opinion however, with exception to a single commission for a military facility and the rather large void of French culture in Japan (and history books on the subject to include use of the English language, Parliament, and Military structure) would support my argument.

This came later with Cmdre Perry. You just have to go there to see it. Maybe you have been there also.

When the Shogun threw all foreigners out of Japan because the Japanese were forgetting their traditions and adopting a western thoughts and ideas.

Today's Japan is because of WWII,General McAurthur made vast changes to their structure and their consitution (model after the US). He gave women in Japan rights they never had at all during that time.

Many countries made trips to Japan, ie: Russia,US,France,Dutch,British...

S/F<
CEYA!

Don't you think its a lot easier and clearer to read a stamped roman character than a Kanji Symbol?

That could also be a reason why its NJS rather than the kanji equivalent. Probably 33%+ of all writing in Japan is in english. Thats excluding English in airports etc. to help non-japanese speaking people.