Large format in the far east?

I was watching the ebay auction of a Phillips Compact 8x10 that ended today, and reviewed the bidding info out of curiosity. (I was very interested in bidding until I learned what would be design shortcomings for me in the Compact.) (Well, that and when the bidding went over $2000...)

Of the five highest bidders, two were from China, one from the US, one from Japan, and one from Hong Kong. Is there a large format photography movement there stronger than Europe and the US? (I've heard of lots of older collectable cameras being shipped there from the west, but I guess there's a pretty strong market for newer "user" lf stuff too?)

I'm not really sure. But I did see that China has a movie out on large format lenses: House of Flying Dagors.

Japan has been the largest export market for Linhof for decades. They are also the first or second Rodenstock market.

In fact they are the largest export market for Rimowa luggage and probably for Rolex, Mont Blanc, Leica and most other German and European quality products.

They prefer German equipment to Japanese; relations between China and Japan are still abit chilly – many Chinese will not buy their products out of idealism.

There are more people earning over $100,000 per year in China than in the USA now. Of course, there are more people eating dirt than in the USA too.

I have had very bad luck mailing equipment to mainland Chinese buyers, so I no longer will sell anything to them. Their postal system is corrupt and FedEx/UPS is very expensive. Taiwan and Hong Kong buyers are very reliable.

At least half of the LF equipment I have sold on eBay has gone to buyers in Japan, Korea, or Hong Kong.

It is important to note that, at least in the case of Japan, import taxes are by US standards, extremely high; consequently buying European or American merchandise is very expensive. Ebay and US prices are quite cheap in comparison.

Are there more LFers in Japan? Hard to say, but it is certain that the Japanese camera-"otaku" are more than willing to put a significant part of their income into their obsession.

I'm actually more interested in the aesthetics than the market forces in play; the sales just caught my attention. Most of the far-eastern photography I've seen has left me pretty uninspired, but very little of it has been large format. (Yes, I know lf is a negative size, not an aesthetic philosophy, but a certain aesthetic often follows it. Whole `nother discussion...)

If there is a large format school afoot over there, does it have a different approach from the western aesthetics? (As if we all had the same aesthetics over here...) Maybe more to the point: are there far-eastern "equivalents," (very loaded word...) to Adams/Weston, or Minor White/Paul Caponigro? Any websites displaying interesting work?

"Most of the far-eastern photography I've seen has left me pretty uninspired"

books may help you to discover something you are certainly lacking, check out martin parr's book "the photobook: a history volume 1" that should at least open your eyes. if your interest is limited to "Adams/Weston, or Minor White/Paul Caponigro" type thang, perhaps you may be better borrowing a library copy, if they have one.