If it is of recent manufacture, it is actually built in Japan and is a rebadged Tohatsu. I do not think this is true of the old two strokes.
Thirty HP and under, Mercury and Yamaha are built by Tohatsu. It appears that Tohatsu actually offers a better warranty than does Merc or Yammie on the same engine.
Kind of like buying a Ford Courier pickup built by Mazda, or the Dodge D 50 built by Mitsubishi.
