Reminds me about situation on the consumer electronics market, where Japanese supremacy of the late Showa to early Heisei had been gradually eroded by tremendous progress Chinese manufacturers, turning from copycats and OEMs into genuine innovators; afaik now there is very strong Apple cult following in Japan, while local brands are trailing ever farther behind.

It is believed that the “ Hon-Kaya “ ( i.e. the Japanese Nutmeg-yew ) is superior to the “ Chinese-Kaya “ a similar tree that grows in the Yunan province in China and that the boards made of the Chinese wood are only second best ( maybe the Chinese think differently, I don’t know ).