Friday, May 23, 2008

having a car is so 20th century

dizzy-in-Tokyo by ~petaluda

With car buying down by close to 33-percent since 1990, Japan is claimed to be in the grips of kuruma banare, which, for Japanese carmakers, is the polar opposite of hakuna matata.

It's being labeled the "demotorization" process, and it involves large numbers of people in Japan's urban centers not buying cars. Surveys have revealed a variety of reasons, from the cost of purchase and ownership, to vehicles simply not being status symbols anymore, to cars being passé -- as in "so 20th century." The greatest worry is that young folks are simply not into cars, preferring cell phones and gadgets to Cubes and keis. Losing their audience before the love affair has even begun is no doubt causing JDM manufacturers to lose sleep.
Excerpted from Is Japan facing a post-car society?
Hat tip to Wagga!

Kimiyuki Suda should be a perfect customer for Japan's carmakers. He's a young (34), successful executive at an Internet-services company in Tokyo and has plenty of disposable income. He used to own Toyota's Hilux Surf, a sport utility vehicle. But now he uses mostly subways and trains. "It's not inconvenient at all," he says. Besides, "having a car is so 20th century."
UPDATE!
I think Billary looks like an evil frog.

24 comments:

NotAnOptimist said...

Murst.

NotAnOptimist said...

As much as I love my car, there are certain places where I am very happy to not drive (e.g. Hong Kong). Plus, cell phones and gadgets are much easier to whip out of your pocket to show off to your friends.

Akubi said...

Hi Notanoptimist,
I haven't seen you in a while.

If we had as good a transit system as Japan I bet a lot fewer people would bother with cars here.

Akubi said...

OT, but I thought this post was funny:
I am going to do everything in my power to ignore the Clinton campaign today, for mental health reasons. Dear God, please don’t let her compare herself to Ghandi today. I need a break.

NotAnOptimist said...

Hi Akubi,
Yes, I've been pretending to be a ghost. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out how to walk through walls.

Anonymous said...

Hi akubi,

I hauled compost again today. I would have took my bicycle but I can't carry very much that way. People complain about gas prices, but I detect no change in driving habits whatsoever.

Akubi said...

@Edgar,
With gas well over $4 a gallon here, I'm seeing more people carpool and ride their bike to work.

OT Laura Richardson follow up: "I might be one of the newest members of Congress but I am not a new member of the REALTOR Party. When I needed help to win a tough primary, REALTORS stood up and backed me even though I was the underdog."
Too bad she doesn't have a blog.

Anonymous said...

Billary ass-ass-in-ated her campaign again. Breeheehee!!

Anonymous said...

She made this video before she went to crapitol hill

Akubi said...

Billary ass-ass-in-ated her campaign again. Breeheehee!!
Whenever you think she can't possibly outdo herself she does it again.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Teddy's got a toomah and she's bringing up the dead kennedys. LMAO!!!

Akubi said...

@Edgar,
Per a friend of mine:
Keith just ripped Hillary a third asshole...see edited version later on MSNBC.

I missed it. Did you see it? Is it available somewhere?

Ogg the Caveman said...

Japan strikes me as a very easy country in which to go car-less: compact, and with the density needed to make mass transit work very well.

Ogg the Caveman said...

Speaking of density, I killed a lot of time with this big set of New York cityscapes. Most are from the late 1800s through the 1930s.

Akubi said...

Found the 3rd asshole Billary on YouTube and will update the post with the video.

Anonymous said...

I missed it. Did you see it?

No, I haven't seen it, I will when you post the vid. though...

Centipede said...

Hell is eating Hillary Clinton.

Centipede said...

Will you allow spineless retards to vote for another idiotic president?

Centipede said...

Billary should be put to sleep ASAP - so I can.

Anonymous said...

She wants Obama to be killed.

Akubi said...

Wow, the Richardson saga continues: She defaulted on 3 houses
Tanta weighs in: A Congressional Speculator?

wagga said...

She was still AOL; Obama was Facebook. Clinton was the PC; Obama was a Mac.

Ogg the Caveman said...

The AOL/Facebook comparison is apt.

Akubi said...

Andrew Sullivan is pretty groovy.