Yamaguchi Bicycle, ‟Smart Lady” The Original ‟Mama-chari”（Part 5）

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

As we have seen in this series, the Smart Lady is the original Mama-chari; a ubiquitous unisex Japanese utility bicycle, or "mom's bike," designed for practical everyday use. 
Now, have you ever seen the movie the Wizard of OZ? 
If so, do you remember the bicycle that the villain Miss Gulch (aka Wicked Witch of the West) rode?

It has nearly all the same Smart Lady features:  step-through frame, upright riding position, single-speed, rod-brakes, sprung leather saddle, half-chaincase, rear fender, handlebar basket and rear luggage rack. 

The bicycle is actually a 1900 Orient manufactured by the Waltham Manufacturing Company of Waltham, Massachusetts, coincidentally very close to where I was raised. 

Having grown up in the US in the 1960s, I had never seen a rod-brake bicycle until I first visited Japan in 1982.  I was amazed.  Rod-brake bicycles were everywhere.   At the time, the brakes were notorious for an eardrum piercing high-pitched screech.  My friends and I affectionately referred to them as the Wicked Witch of the West bicycles because they not only had the same look and feel, but in addition, the loud shrill from the brakes resembled the witch's spine-tingling scream as in the scene where Miss Gulch is riding her bicycle and transforms into the witch riding her broom.

It is interesting that in Japan, the same basic features found on the Smart Lady are still present 70 years later; though the spectrum of models has certainly evolved with cable brakes being standard, internal hub dynamo powered lighting, auto ON-OFF headlamps, electrical assist, internal 3-speed or more hubs, front and rear child seats, etc.  But a new low-end model can still be purchased, complete with accessories (bell, basket, headlamp, skirt guard, rear luggage rack, rear reflector, kickstand, lock) for around $100.

Reliable, affordable and versatile these bikes put the "p" in practical.
As previously mentioned in Part 1, the ubiquitous Mama-chari (mom's bike) is the Dutch Omafiets (grandma's bike) of Japan. 
Bicycles like the Mama-chari and Dutch Omafiets are in many ways better, because they are basic, simple, sturdy, affordable, low maintenance and comfortable.  Don't take my word for it, watch the excellent video below.  

山口自転車のスマートレディー ママチャリの源 （第4回）

I'll be back with another English post soon until then stay trued and happy wheels.

このシリーズの第1回では、スマートレディーの特徴を見て、
第2回では、考案者の山口自転車製造株式会社の創業者兼社長の娘、山口シズエ氏について見てきました。
第3回では女性の体型とニーズに合わせて設計された機能だけでなく、革命的なマーケティング戦略の”美は創れる”キャッチコピーを見ました。
今回は、スマートレディーをお手頃な価格にした革新的な支払いプランについて見ていきます。

当時、自転車の価格は2か月分の給料も掛かりました。
現代の自動車所有と同様に、自転車登録した後にナンバープレート（鑑札）が取り付けられたのを知っておくことが重要です。

昭和32年（1957年）スマートレディー宣伝を見ましょう.
 

まず左上には、第 2回で取り上げた革新的なマーケティング戦略で使用されたキャッチコピー「美は創れる」を掲げた スマートレディー に乗っている女性がいます。

予約販売のご利用は良い品を安く手軽にお求め出来ます
自転車産業の大革命

（１）予約販売は前以て生産計画を立て必要生産を致しますから原価が安く出来ます。
（２）必要生産は見込生産の様にストックを各所に置きませんから資金が節約され棚ざらし残品は皆無で無駄がはぶけます。
（３）販売ルートを簡素化して能率的に致しますから輸送その他の経費が節約されます。

注: 上記は、TPS (トヨタ生産方式)ジャストインタイムの考え方と非常によく似ています。
ジャストインタイムでは、必要な部品が必要な数量で必要なタイミングで供給されるようになっているので倉庫の建物・在庫管理人材・在庫移動設備などなど不要か最小限。

スマートレディー
価格：　13,500円
予約申し込みの際：　2,500円
残りは毎月：　1,000円
期間：　12ヶ月分割り払い
納品：　第3回払込の際

付属品付：　ベル、荷台、スタンド、下ゴム、錠、籠車、後輪ネット、ランプ、ポンプ、手提嚢、

スマートレディー: 女性の心を掴むために女性により構想した自転車。
体型的、機能的、美的に女性に合うように設計され、「美は創れる」というキャッチコピーとともに、女性が自転車を所有できるような手ごろな支払いプランとともに販売されました。

Yamaguchi Bicycle, ‟Smart Lady” The Original ‟Mama-chari”（Part 4）

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

In Part 1 of this series, we saw the features of the Smart Lady, in Part 2 we looked at the brainchild behind this model, Ms. Suzue Yamaguchi, daughter of the founder and president of Yamaguchi Bicycle Manufacturing Corporation, and in Part 3 we saw that the Yamaguchi Bicycle marketing ploy of "Beauty can be created" was decades ahead of its time.  In this post we will look at the revolutionary payment plan that made the Smart Lady affordable.  

It is important to keep in mind that the cost of a typical bicyle exceeded two months' salary, and, much like automobile ownership today, bicycle owners were required to pay a fee to register their bicycle afterwhich a license plate was attached.

Let's take a look at a 1957 Smart Lady advertisement.
 

First in the upper left we see a woman on her Smart Lady with the catch-phrase "Beauty can be created" used in the comany's revolutionary marketing ploy as covered in Part 2.

The upper right:
By using our pre-order service, customers can easily order a quality bicycle at a low price.
A major revolution for the bicycle industry.

（1）Pre-ordering allows us to formulate detailed production plans in advance and produce on an as needed basis; enabling us to lower costs.

（2）Pre-ordering, unlike speculative forecast production, eliminates waste and saves money since it is based on actual orders so no parts inventory nor warehouses; and since we only produce what is already ordered, there's never any leftover goods.

（3）By simplifying and streamlining sales routes, we minimize transportation, distribution and other expenses resulting is savings.

【Note:  The combination of the above closely ｍirrors the TPS (Toyota Production System) philosophy of Just-In-Time; whereby factories produce on an order based system so that the right parts are supplied at the right time in the right quantities so there is no need to maintain inventory which takes up space and requires buildings to store it, people to manage it and equipment to move it.】 

Lower right:

Price: ￥13,500  　
Downpayment:　￥2,500 
Monthly installments:　￥1,000 for 12 months
Delivery:　Upon payment of 3rd installment

Includes Accesories: Bell, rear luggage rack, stand, lock, basket, mud flap, rear wheel skirt protector net, head lamp, pump, shopping bag.

The Smart Lady:  a bicycle conceptualized by a woman to appeal to women, tailored to fit a woman physically, functionally, aesthetically, and marketed with the catch-phrase "Beauty can be created" along with a payment plan that put bicycle ownership within the reach of women.