MIJ or not?

[hankslick]

Hello Tokai enthusiasts, I just registered to see if anyone can help solve a mystery. I purchased a new Tokai TJ70 "Love Rock" guitar, serial number 0610733, in 2006 from Ishibashi Music, Japan. I changed the MIJ Gotoh pickup to a Lollar and have loved playing this beautifully-made Les Paul Jr. copy guitar over the years. But is it actually Made in Japan as the salesman at Ishibashi claimed? (I still have the emails saved.)
Positives: bookcase headstock, 2 screw truss rod cover, MIJ Gotoh pickup and pots, one piece mahogany body, and guitar is very well made (I own a bunch of guitars and know the difference.)
The glaring negative: there is no Made in Japan on the back of the headstock.
Did they not add Made in Japan for the guitars made for the domestic market?
Additional info: in the pickup cavity, written by hand it says "2 - 58" over "SYW". I've enhanced the color in attached photo for easier reading.
Thanks much for your help, I look forward to checking in on the forums regularly.
Hank S.

 

[Sigmania]

It looks like it’s a MIJ Tokai.

The “Made In Japan” was apparently initially a sticker. I tried to figure out when it turned to an ink stamp but never nailed it down.

Looks like you have a legit COA. Not sure why they didn’t stamp the serial number on there but it’s Tokai. They’ve always been a fairly small company and lots of examples of goofs.

Also the Gotoh pickup and pots are MIJ.

 

[hankslick]

Sigmania, thanks for jumping on this so quickly and weighing in. Have you or any of the others here tried to contact the factory with these sorts of questions? And, if so, have they been helpful?

 

[Sigmania]

Well the company has new ownership. The web site is all in Japanese. You need to use a translator like Google Chrome. They tend to respond but there may be some cultural and communication barriers. Worth a shot.

 

[Sigmania]

東海楽器製造株式会社

 

[hankslick]

Thanks for the website, I might give it a try.

 

[Sigmania]

2003/4 catalog



2007 catalog

 

[Sigmania]

Looks like the color is see thru yellow and not the yellow on the COA. Looks like there was a change for some reason.

 

[hankslick]

Very interesting - you're quite the detective, Sigmania. On a related note: what do you think are the very best years for MIJ Les Paul Jr. and Les Paul Special Tokai copy guitars?

 

[Sigmania]

No idea. Never had a junior. Looks like a fun guitar for blues though.