Nozawa No. 28 3-Speed Premium Sportster (Part 1)

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Here is an extremely rare chance to own a brand new, all original Nozawa Works Shimano 3-speed premium sportster model "Number 28" dating back to 1960. 
This bicycle has been tucked away in the far corner of a storage building for 65 years. The photos were taken just as I found the bicycle, simply dusted it off and pumped up the tires.  The paint and chrome are in good condition and will clean up nicely with a wash and light rubbing compound.

The photo below is from a 1959 Nozawa Works catalog. The catalog states two color options (blue pictured below) and light grey which was the one I found (above).


Here is the information from the 1959 Nozawa Works catalog.
Let's take a closer look.
 

The model is a Nozawa Number 28 Premium Sportster.

Let's take a look at the specifications.

Frame:  26 x 20 inch high-tension steel lugless frame.

Fenders: Nozawa IV model, white with red pinstripes.

Handlebars: Allrounder model

Chaincase: All steel, solid front full chaincase

Rims: 26x1 3/8 inch W/O

Brakes: Front channel type caliper brake
            Rear band brake

Saddle:　#32 model with soft leather 

Carrier (luggage rack):　Chrome plated sportser model

Tire/Tube:　Nozawa premium 26x1 3/8 inch 
                  Wired-on, black with whitewalls

Color: Standard light-grey frame and chaincase

As mentioned in Vintage Japanese Bicycle (Model Types)  I mainly focus on Japanese bicycles from 1949~1963, predominantly single gear bicycles.  However, at the tailend of this period was the beginning of a bicycle boom, particularly for touring as 3-speed bicycles became increasingly popular and the bicycle trend in Japan shifted from utility to leisure.  This Nozawa  No. 28 3-Speed Premium Sportster is a fine example of a high-end touring bicycle from this period.

In the next installment we shall take a detailed look at the actual 65 year old Nozawa No. 28 3-Speed Premium Sportster. 
(If you are interested in purchasing this very rare bicycle, contact me at showajitensha@hotmail.co.jp.)

日本楽器の自転車鑑札

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

ヤマハ株式会社は、高品質な楽器を135年以上に製造してきたことでよく知られています。
先日、実用車愛好家の広島のSさんがヤマハ株式会社に関連する非常に珍しい自転車用鑑札（ナンバープレート）と思われる写真を送ってくれました。
さっそく見てみましょう。

日本の自転車税の最終徴収期間（1950年〜1958年）には多種多様な鑑札デザインが存在しましたが、私が特に面白いと思うのは「中抜き式」鑑札です。
これは、ハンドルに装着の仕様で、簡易的な盗難防止装置が組み込まれていたからです。

下の写真の鑑札には「3977」という番号が刻印されています。
よく見ると数字の中央を横切るように帯状になっているのがわかります。これを引き抜く中抜き式プレートになっています。

目的地に到着して自転車に鍵をかけた後、持ち主は中抜き式プレートを引抜いて持って行きました。
万一、その場を離れている間に自転車が盗まれたら、 赤くなっていることで誰にでも盗難車と分かります。

この鑑札を謎めいたものにしている点が3つあります。

1つ目は、上部の「日本楽器）」の赤い文字で記された点です。
「日本楽器）」は、現在のヤマハ株式会社を指しています。
自転車鑑札に社名が入っているのは初見です。

通常は、下の例（一宮市）のように、上部に社名ではなく市町村名が刻印されています。

下部には自転車番号との刻印があり、通常は「自転車鑑札」となっています。

2つ目の謎は、鑑札に4桁しかないことです。
通常は、以下のように5桁でした。

３つ目の謎は、アール・デコ風の装飾的な模様です。

下の一般的なデザインと比べて、上のデザインがいかに装飾的であるが一目瞭然です。

なぜこの自転車の鑑札には日本楽器の社名が入っているのでしょうか？

なぜ「自転車番号」とだけ書かれていて、「自転車鑑札」とは書かれていないのでしょうか？

なぜ数字が4桁しかないのでしょうか？

なぜこんなに装​​飾的なデザインなのでしょうか？

第二次世界大戦前のものなのでしょうか？戦後、1946年には多くの文字が簡略化されているので、そうは思えません。この鑑札は、戦前の画数が多い「自轉車」ではなく、簡略化された「自転車」を使用しています。

もしかしたら、これは鑑札ではなく、日本楽器が各自転車の台数を管理するために使用していた整理番号プレートなのでしょうか？
可能性がないことはないですが、そんなに多くの自転車（3977台）を所有していたのでしょうか？
もしそうなら、なぜ通常の自転車鑑札と同じデザインなのでしょうか？

この謎めいた珍しい自転車鑑札の写真を送ってくださった実用車愛好家の広島のSさんに感謝します。もしこれと類似した理論、情報、または実例をお持ちでしたら、情報や写真をshowajitensha@hotmail.co.jpまでお送りください。

Yamaha Bicycle License Plate

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Yamaha Corporation, is well-known for its long history of producing high quality musical instruments.  
 S-san, a fellow vintage Japanese utility bicycle enthusiast from Hiroshima, recently sent me a photograph of what appears to be a very rare bicycle license plate related to Yamaha Corporation.  Let's take a look.

It is important to note that in the 1950s bicycles were prized possessions; similar to automobile ownership today as they cost more than two months' salary, were taxed and had license plates. Since the local municipality oversaw the implementation of the "bicycle tax", the design of these "license plates", as well as the mounting location (handlebars, head tube, rear fender, etc.), varied greatly from town to town.  Even bicycle trailers were taxed and had license plates.

Although there were many different designs of bicycle license plates during the final period of bicycle taxation in Japan (1950-1958) I'm fond of this particular type as it was attached to the handlebars, and, had a simple built-in anti-theft device. Notice the license plate below bears the numbers 3977.  Also, if you look closely, there appears to be a strip running across the middle of the numbers.  This strip is actually a removable sliding plate.

When the owner arrived at the desired destination, after locking the bicycle, the owner removed the sliding plate and took it with them.  If, while they were away, someone were to steal the bicycle the red blank was a beacon for the authorities that the bicycle was stolen. 

There are 3 points that make this particular license plate a mystery.

The first is the company name in red characters at the top.  The characters 日本楽器 read "NIHON GAKKI" is modern day Yamaha Corporation.  This is the first time I have ever seen a bicylcle license plate with a company name on it.

Normally the name of the town is stamped at the top as seen in the example below 一宮市 ICHINOMIYA City.

At the bottom in red characters 自転車番号 reads "JITENSHA BANGO", literally bicycle (registration) number.
Normally it would read 自転車鑑札 "JITENSHA KANSATSU", bicycle license (tax badge).

The second mystery is that the license plate only has four digits.  Typical license plates had 5 digits as shown below.

The third thing that makes this license plate mysterious is the Art Deco fashion decorative stamping pattern.

Note how ornate the design above is compared to regular designs below.

Why does this bicycle license plate have the company name, Yamaha Corporation?
Why does it only read "Bicycle Number" and not bicycle license?
Why does it only have 4 digits?
Why is the design so decorative?

Could it be pre-WWII?  I doubt it as after the war, in 1946 many characters were simplified.  And the license plate uses the simplified version 自転車 as opposed to the older more complicated version 自轉車.

Could it be that it is not a license plate at all, and, instead, simply a plate utilized by Yamaha Corporation to keep track of each bicycle?  Possibly, but would the company have so many bicycles (3977)? And, if so why would it be in the same design as regular bicycle license plates?

Thanks to S-san for sending in photos of this mysterious rare bicycle license plate.  If you have any theories, information or actual examples similar to this one, please send information/photos to showajitensha@hotmail.co.jp