I have a mini-mite that I bought from Fred,it has 2 BB made in Japan. It is probably the smoothest of any spinning reel ever made.Even with an external bail trip,I have noticed some older Daiwa reels made in Korea are well made. It appears Daiwa reels were made in several countries over the years,is the quality the same throughout. The only 2 other Daiwa reels I have are Goldcast & Silvercast spincast reels which are great too.
I've had a few Daiwa SS reels from Japan and Korea. I don't see any differences in quality. The SS, GS, and BG are my some of my favorite spinning reels from the 1970s and 1980s. Pot metal gears for the most part, but used within their limits, they just keep working smoothly and catching fish no matter how bad they look. Bought this one new in the 1970s, and used it a lot in both fresh and salt water. Gave it to my buddy about 6 years ago, and he used it weekly in salt water, and never rinsed it unless it rained. Gave it back to me a couple months ago because it was broke. I replaced the bail spring, cleaned and lubed it, and freshened up the line. It's back in service with me.