Kobayashi-san, pres of Cosina, what do we know about him?

[Bill58]

I am struck by the fact that Cosina's name above the door is in English -- and I assume this is at headquarters in Nagano? That would be like seeing billboards in Japanese at Yankee Stadium. 🙂


Maybe it's kinda like Korea--English names literally everywhere-- natives can read, but few can speak or write.

 

[BrianPhotog]

That would be like seeing billboards in Japanese at Yankee Stadium. 🙂

Last time I watched a Yankee game I noticed a couple of billboards in Chinese for Taiwanese companies or in English for Taiwanese companies that don't do business in the U.S.

Why?

23 million Taiwanese tuning in to watch Mr. Wang pitch 😛

 

[rover]

Last time I watched a Yankee game I noticed a couple of billboards in Chinese for Taiwanese companies or in English for Taiwanese companies that don't do business in the U.S.

Why?

23 million Taiwanese tuning in to watch Mr. Wang pitch 😛

You are so right. Wang was named by some media source as one of the most influential athletes in the world because of the reaction in Taiwan to his successes.

 

[kshapero]

i dont know the basis of the name, but as the company was founded in the 50's it was oriented to export, and needed a name that would work with western alphabet. It was Mr Kobayashi's father who started the company and it is still, more or less, a family owned company.
We keep associating it with our Bessa's, Zeiss Ikon,s etc, but the main business is making optics for lots of other applications, including LCD projectors, high speed surveillance lenses, beam splitters for video recorders and other stuff.
Cosina is also one of the few manufacturers left who makes its own glass. This allows them a free hand when it comes to designing lenses that require specialized glass as they can make a small batch if needed, just for a trial run.
I met Mr Kobayashi in Tokyo almost 10 years ago and over time we have become good friends. He is a delightful man, great sense of humor and an abiding interest in cameras (avid collector), lenses as well as a photographer.
We can spend hours or days when time allows talking about "what if's" and of course having the technical know how available, many of these what ifs become realities!
Oh, he does wear glasses most of the time and he is not interested in golf. He is also one of those rare people who can explain optical designs so that even I can understand the why's and why nots of it.

Tom thanks for piping in with some real info about the man.

 

[gb hill]

I have read several articals about Mr K. and I believe he would be a nice man to meet. I even call my $59 brown case that I got with my Bessa R for a dollar from S. Gandy, my Kobayashi case. 😀

 

[ChrisPlatt]

'nuff said!

'nuff said!

He's only the modern day savior and champion of film photography.

Chris

 

[Finder]

He's only the modern day savior and champion of film photography.

Chris

I thought I was???

 

[Bertram2]

He is not interested in digital, and as for R Line, he is as passionated als clever.
Obviously. 🙂)

bertram

 

[Terao]

You are so right. Wang was named by some media source as one of the most influential athletes in the world because of the reaction in Taiwan to his successes.

Same with Ichiro in Seattle - Japanese billboards, site available in Japanese, a very large Japanese press corps (probably more Japanese covering Ichiro than native journalists covering the team)

Its a huge market, also happens in soccer over here with Chinese beer companies sponsoring teams with Chinese players.