Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai
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Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai, or NJS, may be translated into English as the "Japanese Bicycling Association." This council's primary responsibility is fostering Japan's bicycle industry and regulating keirin racing in Japan.
In addition to licensing keirin racers, the association sets specifications for frames and parts such as wheel size, spoke count, frame geometry, and even weight and material of components. These requirements were established in 1957 in an attempt to prevent any racers from having equipment-related advantages. However, because the NJS' main objective is supporting the Japanese cycling market, its bureacracy is notoriously critical of foreign manufacturers attempting to enter the Japanese market - even highly esteemed companies do not produce NJS-approved parts. Therefore, the difficulty of obtaining NJS-approved status does not necessarily connotate higher quality.
Even though NJS track-approved items are not superior to all non-approved parts, they have achieved monumental appeal with some riders in certain fixed gear, especially bike courier, communities.
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