Today is the fourth day of the "spring" show of the NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants in the US. At these shows the various makers of musical instruments come together to show their new wares to music shop owners, professional musicians, and the musical instrument media. One of the rumours apparently floating around the show this year is that Fujigen Gakki, a Japanese guitar maker, is going to leave the guitar business in 2006. This would be a real shame, as Fujigen has made a lot of great products over the years, most noteably various instruments for Ibanez and Fender's Japanese lines. Presumably the growing guitar production in Indonesia and(especially)China, along with the maturing of the Korean guitar industry, is making it harder and harder for Japanese firms to compete, even if they have a perceived reputation for making higher quality products than their other Asian competitors.