In the 60s and 70s the major typewriter companies were struggling - electrics had moved in, and all those hyper-sturdy machines they'd built in the 40s and 50s were still going strong. Increasingly they had to compete on price, rather than on durability, to get people to buy new manuals. The answer was that machines were cheaply made, more and more of plastic, and either outsourced to Japan or else bought in and rebranded. Besides Nakajima the other big Japanese name you see is Silver-Seiko. This is not the golden era of typewriters.

As for recognising all the major brands, yes bur how many brands is that? And a 'brand' is just that - only a mark. In the end even companies like Smith Corona and Adler were putting their brand on these Japanese machines. Trading on their reputations, and marketing on price. 

I did a little internet search this morning ad read a couple of reasonably interesting posts about these 'ALL'-branded machines - it's easy to find out more about them. I think it was OzTypewriter that made the point that the cheapest-looking thing about this one is its label - and for good reason, because so very many different labels were used for this model.

The first typewriter I owned was a Brother Charger 11, likely of that class of Japanese machine (though no auto-spacebar).   I used it to type essays and papers from high school through most of university.  

At the time, I had no passion about typewriters.  They were just a tool   And when computers and their printers came along, the Charger  was unceremoniously put away.  Put away for decades in fact.  I'm glad I didn't sell it off in a garage sale.  

Hermes 9
Definitely a member of the Hermes extended family, but not being small, cute and portable - traits so highly valued - this machine virtually went begging for a sale while a steady stream of 3000's demand 10 times the price.

Based on one example of a 3000 I have tried it also has the desirable Hermes touch. Types pretty good too:
It was grimy inside and out, but the outside cleaned up quite nicely - and the inside - I will get to that someday, but in the short term seems to have no effect on operation. The platen has seen a life of hard work with the parallel indented rings, but is up to a little more work. The Cyclopean eye in the center of the high forehead stares at the user and encourage him also to work.

Repartee wrote:

Hermes 9

Appears to have the same paper rest as the 3000, and not the Ambassador type.  Do you know where this machine sits on the scale of Hermes standards - is it as good as the ambassador, or marketed a more economical alternative?  Never seen a '9' for sale in Australia.

Just picked up a little Simplex (My first, so I kind of over paid) for $28. Its unlike any model I have seen (But NO, not RARE! lol) because it doesn't have a model number. Anyways, I only got it because its one of the older models Early 1900s), capitols only. And its my first. Oh, it came with the box and the paint not he dial is in great shape, AND none of the rubber type slug things are missing. The only things wrong is that the feed rollers need replacing (Heat shrink!) and one of the ink pads is missing (3d printed frame, and a cotton ball under a cut piece of fabric for the ink pad! Im going to try that!).

I must say, they are reallllyyyy small.