Members of the Jamaican national team launch into a test run using the first Japanese-made bobsled in Nagano, northwest of Tokyo, in mid-January. TOKYO -- Ota Ward of Tokyo is known for its high concentration of small manufacturers who punch far above their weight in terms of craftsmanship and global reach. A group of factories there is reinforcing that image by teaming up to make an unlikely product for an even unlikelier customer: a bobsled for the Jamaican Olympic team.
A model the group designed and built has been tentatively chosen by the team for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Considering that their rivals are such internationally known names as BMW and Ferrari, breaking into the bobsled big leagues is no mean feat.
