[coldtea]

>Japan was known for making cheap low quality products much like China is now. It's only relatively recently that they moved up the quality ladder.

Perhaps you mean the cheap radios, cameras, vehicles etc of post-war Japan. Those were made to rebuild their economy, and from a starting point of almost great desolation.

Go back a few decades from WWII, and you'll find out that for centuries before Japan made extremely high quality products, from swords and teapots, to furniture and jewelry.

To the point that European and American artifacts of the same type and same era look like the Dell Ditty compared to the iPod Touch.