Page 1306 of the newly discovered 2003 "Distribution Company Yearbook" (流通会社年鑑) published by "Japan Keizai Shimbun" (日本経済新聞社) says that on 21st August 1957 Taiyodo Koki was reorganized as a joint-stock company and changed to its current trade name (the Beauty Camera Company). A j...

Wow! That sounds exciting. I thought I was alone in having an interest in this obscure company. My detailed supporting evidence has been published at https://heyjohnbear.wixsite.com/taiyodo . I've written a high level summary which can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_Taiy%C5%8Dd%C5%...

The Tokyo based Taiyōdō (太陽堂) company was a camera distributor (1) before it went into the manufacturing business in 1948. In 1957 Taiyōdō went bankrupt (2), and it the new company emerged - Beauty Camera K.K. (1) Camera Taiyodo was a simple shop opened in 1947 that initially sold second-hand goods...

Taiyodo Koki traded as the Beauty Camera Company from December 1957. The Varicon SL was made from 1958 by the Beauty Camera Company.

The image shown is a model V and not a K. The K had Beauty Anastigmat 80mm f/3.5 lenses (not Doimers), and a different decorative trim between the two lenses.

The image shown appears to be a Model II. There is no evidence to show that a model III was made.

All Beautyflex cameras had a model type (e.g. II, IV, S, T, etc). There wasn't a generic "Beautyflex" model.

From December 1957 Taiyodo Koki changed its name to the Beauty Camera Company to match that of its products. The Beauty Super L was made from 1958, and was therefore NOT made by Taiyodo Koki. This mistake is like calling a Nissan car a Datsun.

The Beauty LM was not made by Taiyodo Koki. From December 1957 the company changed its name to the Beauty Camera Company. The Beauty LM was made from 1959, and is engraved on the baseplate "Beauty Camera Co Ltd".

The Beauty Lite III was not made by Taiyodo Koki. From December 1957 the company changed its name to the Beauty Camera Company. The Beauty Lite III was made from 1961, and is engraved on the baseplate "Beauty Camera Co Ltd".