Apple is on par with Canon and Toshiba as one of the most highly regarded brands in Japan, according to a new study published by Gfk. Surveys of more than 40,000 Japanese people gives the American company equal footing with the other electronics makers despite Japan's historical preference for native brands. The company's industrial design and support for Windows users have helped it reach the top ranks, the research group says. Apple specifically earned its highest scores for both desktop and notebook PCs as well as portable media players.

Other categories were dominated almost exclusively by Japanese firms, Gfk notes. Canon ranked highly for its compact still cameras as well as its camcorders, while Toshiba was ranked highly for its HDTVs. Similarly native countries also followed closely behind these firms with Hitachi and Sharp as runners-up in the TV category, while Nikon has won approval for its DSLR cameras.

The positive image of Apple is hard-won in the country, which has often been one of the California company's most difficult markets. The company is widely recognized as having usurped Sony's Walkman line as the chief music player in Japan but until the most recent quarter has often struggled for similar acceptance for its computers. [via CrunchGear]