Fender Guitar "Made in Japan" and "Crafted in Japan" Serial Number Decoder - Vintage Japan Guitars (2024)

In March 1982, Fujigen initiated the production of Fender guitars in Japan.

Fujigen, renowned for owning the Greco brand in Japan, had been crafting Fender replicas for over a decade, steadily enhancing their quality over the years. A significant milestone was reached in 1976 when Fujigen began manufacturing copies remarkably faithful to the originals. The period from 1980 to 1982 marked another stride with the introduction of the Super Real series, presenting exceptionally high-end models.

Notably, Fender entered into a business agreement with KandaShokai (the distributor of the Greco brand) and Fujigen (the manufacturer and proprietor of the Greco brand in Japan). This collaboration led to the establishment of a production line for Japanese-made Fender guitars in 1982.”

2007 was another transitional year for the Made in Japan Fender guitars and basses, with the return to the “Made in Japan” country-of-origin identifier on the serial number decal.

This was a running change, and both “Made in Japan” and “Crafted in Japan” decals appear on instruments from 2007 and 2008.

2012 was one more transitional year for the MIJ Fender instruments, with the new serial number starting with “JD” followed by an eight-digit number with “Made in Japan” decals.

If your serial number starts with “JD” followed by an eight-digit number, the first two digits designates the year of manufacture.

However, there are some exceptions in this transition period in 2012. “JD + 8 digits” and some of instruments with “U + 6 digits” are also built in 2012.

Disclaimer The information obtained through this page DOES NOT hold any official or legal validity and can not be used as proof of authenticity of any product. Furthermore, while manufacture dates are accurate for the most part, they might vary sligthly from reality in some cases.