There are (3) options for Japanese made ends, authentic 555 Sankei (we stock), Joint Fuji (we can/do often stock) and Genuine Toyota (we stock). If it doesn't say that on the end... it's not one of those. Anyone selling Japanese and a 555/JF/OEM, will boldy say it at quick glance. Beyond that, the best option would be to call and ask them.
As I mentioned above, parts from those manufacture regions are not assumed bad, just some stuff like steering & brakes we avoid in most cases as we've inspected said parts side by side and do see quality and/or longevity differences. We stock parts from partners in India for example that are better quality than we get from manufactures in the US and Australia. Often I see folks say
"you only recommend XYZ because that is the brand you carry" and I have to remind them we carry XYZ brand because it's the one we trust and we trust our customers using. We can buy from all the same lower quality sources... I'm not contractually obligated to stock the level of Japanese parts we do, rather we choose too based on experience and trust. We've learned a few things in 32 years of wholesale & retail Land Cruiser business. And we'll learn more too!
Beyond that, ask said vendor if they don't advertise it. I can often look at many parts and tell you they are not Japanese, in many cases based on color, finish or features. For example I don't know any top shelf Japanese manufactures offering 4-pc oil pan gaskets and I wouldn't sell a 4-pc gasket to an enemy (and I hope I don't have any of those anyways
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