Do you know if all the DD3 MIJ versions have the old 'n' big Roland chip? I know that all the DD2's have it, but what about the Japan made DD3's? How can someone recognise an old Japanese DD3 on Ebay?
Yes I would expect that one to be a Japanese pedal. The pedal itself is indistinguishable from the newer version from that angle but the Pocket Dictionary is Vol 2 from 85 and the box is whiter than the new box that is slightly yellow.
This is becoming a popular line of questioning recently. Here's a link to one thread with the link to stinkfoot's web page that explains the different versions of the DD-3:
looking at the photo above, i can say that it's a japan unit by the color scheme of the box where the "white" side and "blue" side differ when compared to MIT boxes.