13 Companies You Didn't Know Are Japanese

 Yesterday I bought a bunch of vintage trucker hats and one of them was an all mesh Bridgestone hat from circa 1974 judging by the logo on the front. Anyway that got me thinking of companies that are Japanese that people don't think they are. So here is a list of companies that you wouldn't know are Japanese.

1. Bridgestone Tires
2. Maxell 
3. Uniden 
4. Brother Industries
5. Citizen
6. Kenwood Electronics
7. Olympus
8. Pilot Pen Corporation
9. Sega
10. Sharp Corporation
11. Subaru
12. TDK Corporation
13. Epson 
14. Roland Corporation

1-900-200-SEGA

  Back in the day in the 16 bit era of video games, Sega had a game secrets hotline. If you were desperate to know how to beat a game, you called a 1-900 number. Unlike a 1-800 number, 1-900 numbers you pay for per minute. Now I wonder how many kids actually called this hotline without their parents permission? My guess probably lots of kids did. When their parents saw the phone bill, they were in deep trouble.
  Now according to the number on the cartridge for Sonic The Hedgehog 3, the 1-900-200-SEGA cost $0.95 per minute for a recorded call. Or you had the live option that was $1.50 per minute. You also had to be 18 years old or have parental permission. A TDD (Touch Dial Tone) phone is or (was) required. For those who lived in Canada, the number was 1-900-451-5252 and cost USD $1.50 per minute recorded or live either way.
  I haven't tried to call this number nor do I have any desire to call it. I don't know if the number is still in service. I doubt Sega still owns this number or not. It may now be a phone sex hotline for that matter.