Before the 80s (?) Japanese products were considered second rate. There was even a scene about it in Back To The Future 3
Japanese goods also littered the low end prior to Taiwan, Mexico, Korea, and China.
When they moved away from manufacturing, many of the companies that built their reputations with sophistication and quality licensed their brands to any third party who'd pay to slap on their ersatz and second rate products.
Capability isn't uniform.