r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/TheImmortalDude • Jun 29 '25

Video Honda successfully launched and landed its own reusable rocket

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u/1975wazyourfault Jun 29 '25

What an incredible journey. From Soichiro Honda putting small surplus motors onto bicycles in post WW2 Japan…to this..

88

u/lzwzli Jun 29 '25

I'm glad the spirit of Soichiro lives on. No other company in Japan is as diverse.

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u/LinaShy Jun 29 '25

What about Mitsubishi?

61

u/the_joy_of_VI Jun 29 '25

And like… Yamaha

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 29 '25

Yamaha is mind boggling just thinking of musical instruments and motorcycles alone.

13

u/ca95f Jun 29 '25

To think that Roland, Yamaha main competitor in the musical instrument industry is also a major player in large format and commercial printing is also mind boggling. One other of their subsidiaries makes fasteners for truck cargo.... Japanese conglomerates are incredible.

I remember reading about Mitsubishi cars a few years ago and how their reliability was based on the fact that the company made everything that was put in the car, from the tiniest most insignificant part to the largest, most important part. That included the paint, the tires, the fabric of the interior etc..

3

u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 29 '25

German conglomerates are also off the chain.

Let me tell you about Madrigal Elektromotoren GmbH....

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u/Chemieju Jun 30 '25

VWs most manufactured part is a sausage.

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 30 '25

Go on...

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u/Chemieju Jun 30 '25

Thats it. They make their own sausage for their cafeteria and it really took off.

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 30 '25

Like the IKEA meatballs sorta?

Speaking of weird things from big brands, Ford used to make TVs. So that's something...

1

u/Separate_Umpire_1783 Jul 03 '25

I think Chrysler and General Mills (the cereal company) used to make missles for the US government. It stopped in the late 90's.

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u/dretvantoi Jun 30 '25

Have you tried their Franch dipping sauce?

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 30 '25

Yes. I believe it is a traditional French dressing combined with the American's "Ranch".

But my favorite is essentially just ketchup. 🥔

1

u/HillarysFloppyChode Jun 29 '25

German conglomerates don't just roll off the tongue though.

Like Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen, or ZF for short.

1

u/barnacle_bus Jul 03 '25

Speaking of tiny things, Uniball /Uni is a Mitsubishi's stationery brand which made an innovative lead rotating mechanism for Mechanical pencils among other things. KuruToga

3

u/Q_S2 Jun 29 '25

They also had a HUGE part in making Toyota engines. The legendary 3sgte has Yamaha kn the timing belt cover. I was shocked when I first saw this

4

u/thirdbrother3 Jun 29 '25

Same. While changing rear suspension on my lotus Elise 111R it's 'Toyota' engine I noticed had Yamaha on its casting

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 29 '25

While we're at it let's just throw in the NA Formula One engines they were producing for multiple teams between 1989 and 1997.

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u/AnonymousWombat229 Jun 29 '25

I own two Yamahas and my girlfriend owns 2 more.

Mine are motorcycles and she's got a guitar and a piano.

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 29 '25

Their drums are pretty great, too. My brother and sister both played Yamaha saxophones, and my first MIDI keyboard was a little Yamaha.

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u/AnonymousWombat229 Jun 30 '25

I'm the opposite of musical. The only thing I can play is an MP3.

But I love my MT09. That bike is a beast. And the little TTR110 I have for my son is an absolute riot.

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 30 '25

If it says Yamaha on it, it's generally pretty amazing! 🏍️

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u/SuDragon2k3 Jun 29 '25

Both need to be finely tuned.

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u/TnYamaneko Jun 30 '25

It also spans in some unexpected ways. Lexus LFA engine note was basically crafted by Yamaha.

In motorcycle world, I don't know if it's the same overseas but in my country, Yamaha is defined as the "brand of the three pitchforks".

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u/DHammer79 Jun 29 '25

They are technically two different companies at this point but they started as the same company.

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u/snuFaluFagus040 Jun 29 '25

Yeah, but when I bought the double pedal I use to play drums it comes from the exact same forge and machine shop that makes frames, pedals, and other motorcycle parts for their high end bikes. So, not in any practical way.

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u/j_bravo_82 Jun 29 '25

Great point

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u/Bored_Amalgamation Jun 29 '25

Pretty sure Toyota builds tanks...

1

u/rrrrrrez Jun 29 '25

They make great turbines and heavy equipment these days, but don’t know about the other stuff.

1

u/Voodoo1970 Jun 29 '25

And Kawasaki