{
  "id": 9796433,
  "title": "Having learnt his trade with Ugo de Rosa, Yoshiaki Nagasawa quickly became Japan's preeminant frame builder",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/having-learnt-his-trade-with-ugo-de-rosa-yoshiaki-nagasawa-quickly",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T15:33:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Cycling Weekly",
    "slug": "cycling-weekly",
    "url": "https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/having-learnt-his-trade-with-ugo-de-rosa-yoshiaki-nagasawa-quickly-became-japans-preeminant-frame-builder"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yoshiaki Nagasawa, a revered frame builder in Japan, honed his skills under the tutelage of Ugo de Rosa in the 1970s in Milan. His expertise soon caught the attention of Matt Crampton, a prominent Keirin racer from Manchester, who commissioned a track bike from Nagasawa in 2009. The bike, built for Crampton, went on to win the Japanese Keirin Association Race in Manchester the following year, leading to an invitation for Nagasawa to join the prestigious Japan Keirin School in Izu, Japan.\n\nThe school, a rigorous training ground and spiritual haven, is deeply rooted in the intense Keirin racing scene. Keirin is a lucrative industry in Japan, generating a staggering 1.328 trillion yen (£6,481 million) in annual gambling revenue. Keirin is a far cry from the more moderate Olympic and UCI cycling; it is a high-stakes contact sport played on an outdoor asphalt track, regardless of weather conditions.\n\nThe Japan Keirin School is a place of discipline, with both racing and frame building tightly regulated. Each bike must be constructed from steel and adhere to strict standards set by the Nihon Jitensha Shinkōkai (NJS), the sport's governing body. The NJS has been steadfast in maintaining these standards since the 1970s, ensuring minimal changes to the bikes throughout the years, save for contemporary drive chain components. Despite these conservative standards, Nagasawa's craftsmanship breathes life into these bikes, crafting them with artistry and precision.",
  "summary": "Frame design and choice of components may be limited by the sport's governing body, Nihon Jitensha Shinkōkai (NJS), but keirin bikes are still a thing of beauty",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}