Bridgestone comes from Japan. The company was founded in 1931 in Kurume, Japan. The name of the founder, Shojiro Ishibashi, literally means “stone bridge.” It is the source of the English-language name Bridgestone, adopted to facilitate the conquest of the American market. In 1988, Bridgestone acquired the American Firestone. ¹⁾

Honda became Japan's largest motorcycle manufacturer when it began production in 1955 and has remained so ever since. Hondas were also the first Japanese motorcycles exported to the U.S., beginning in 1960. ²⁾

Isuzu produced 447,000 trucks in 2011. In second place was China's Dongfeng Motor (337,000), followed by Volvo (300,000). ³⁾

Paramaribo is the capital of Suriname, located on the Suriname River on the Atlantic coast. The city remained in Dutch possession from 1667 for three centuries. After World War II, the city of Paramaribo developed through industry (production of margarine, cement and beer). ⁴⁾

Sanyo is a Japanese company founded in 1949, known worldwide for producing various types of electronic equipment. In Japanese, Sanyo means “Three Oceans.” The name refers to the three oceans (Atlantic, Pacific and Indian) with which they wanted to spread marketing. In 2008, Sanyo was acquired by Panasonic. ⁵⁾