The price of unleaded gasoline sold on US military installations in Japan has gone up to USD 4.004 per gallon. A price of $3.47 per gallon for unleaded is available only at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. That price has been unchanged since December.

The average US mainland price June 28 was 4.59 per gallon. The June 28 Japan nationwide average price for one gallon of regular was USD 6.20 per gallon (sold at JPY163.88 per liter). convert$

The price is expected to rise to JPY180 by mid-July.

At least one Japanese oil company has surplus gasoline that could be exported to the US. Reuters reports Nippon Oil Corp President Shinji Nishio said Japan’s oil demand will decline 2 percent per year through 2010. But as the Asian market is set to grow 4-5 percent a year, Japan can export domestic surplus overseas. He said Nippon Oil had considered shipping gasoline to the United States to meet peak summer demand, but it was difficult due to the variety of gasoline specifications that exist in the country.

In May 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy, Japan’s trade ministry and oil companies including Exxon Mobil Corp and Nippon Oil held a meeting in San Francisco to discuss gasoline exports to the US from Japan. According to the Reuters story, Japanese exports to the United States of distillates such as gas oil have been steadily increasing, but exports of gasoline are relatively uncommon. The meeting ended with no detailed arrangements of exports, but both countries agreed that the US would stand to gain as it has consistently suffered from a lack of refinery capacity and gasoline shortages, especially in the summer.

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Opposite Directions

Decreasing auto sales in Japan, combined with new laws targeting elderly drivers and other efforts to prevent pensioners from driving, are making it more difficult for auto manufacturers facing a different demographic future.

Newsweek reports automobile sales in Japan have been declining steadily over time. It says aside from minicars and luxury foreign brands, sales of all other types of vehicles are decreasing. Newsweek details a number of factors for the developing disinterest in car ownership.

A 2007 report by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association includes data about the vehicle preferences of people aged 50 years or older. According to the report, “a large number of respondents in this category said they wanted to curb car-purchasing and other car-related expenditures. However, among goods and services they wished to purchase with their retirement benefits, ‘automobiles’ ranked fourth among a total of 19 items.” The research also showed people are keeping their cars longer.

To counter the continuing sales decline in Japan, car makers have been improving marketing strategies. Toyota’s Gazoo website features “Drive Dates” hosted by cute female “idols”. Toyota also developed, built and operates the Tressa Automall near Yokohama.

Nissan’s Cube compact car brand has it’s own artists and music label. Nissan has a whole website of entertainment, including Kid’s Nissan and Nissan origami. Honda is targeting the youngsters with games online at Honda’s ToyTown, which includes popup paper-craft instructions.

License To Shop

Meanwhile, Tokyo city government has been working to get senior citizens to stop driving. Tocho is so concerned about the increasing number of automobile accidents caused by elderly drivers, it is offering incentives to persuade golden agers to quit driving. (more…)

Anime Voice of Toilet Information

Stations on the Yurikamome Line in Tokyo each use a different anime voice actor for all the electronic information kiosks in a given station. Map, fare adjustment, and toilet locator audio guides are provided.

The 16 voice actors and the stations they represent are profiled here.

Real or fake?

Tama-chan promoted to Super Station Chief after one year as regular Station Chief. Gets new house.

interview

LetsJapan: What did you do before you were appointed Stationmaster?
Tama-chan : I was being taken care of by an old lady who owned a shop next to Kishikawa station.

LJ: She provided for you.
Tc: Yeah. She tried to keep me in a cat house in the street.

LJ: How did you get this job?
Tc: Well, the government told her my house had to be moved off the road, so she got this wacky idea and suggested putting the kitty hut in the station.

LJ: And the stationmaster agreed.
Tc: He saw my potential. Be the mascot, get some attention, improve the decreasing usage of this route. He made me Station Chief.

LJ: That’s a nice hat.
Tc: I hate it.

LJ: Why?
Tc: I have to wear it all day. I can’t lay down on my right side. Dogs and birds can sneak up on me from the right. And half the time they can’t even put it on straight.

LJ: You’ve posed for a photo book, you have a poster, postcards.
Tc: I earned it! I lived in that stupid pink cage for a year.

LJ: What’s next for Tama Chan?
Tc: Get me out of here. This is humiliating.

Photos: top, right Photozou/Tama-chan album

Video YouTube ; story, video TBS ; story, photo Petwalker

Photos: left Kishigawa-sen blog, right Photozou/Tama-chan album
Tama-chan goods, book; Wakayama line; Ryobi Holdings PR