Daihatsu is the oldest Japanese automaker, but I know it mainly as the one who makes all the little kei cars – you know, the “light motor vehicles” with engines up to 660cc and 64HP that go 60mph with a strong tailwind and get 50mpg running around heavy city traffic. … [continued]
In the wake of public protests opposing nuclear energy, at least one elected official has joined the cause. Tokaimura Mayor Tatsuya Murakami called on the federal government to decommission the nuclear reactor in his town 68 miles northeast of Tokyo. The reactor, which has had some problems in the past, has been shut down for routine maintenance since the tsunami and resulting nuclear incidents of March 11 this year.
Japan has long had strong feelings on the subject of nuclear energy, only heightened by the tsunami and subsequent meltdown in Fukushima last spring. The prospect of returning to nuclear power sparked a show of public opposition on Monday in Tokyo, with at least 20,000 participants (according to the police) and perhaps as many as 60,000 (according to various media reports).
Tokyo Tower has been crushed by Godzilla more times than I can count. Its presence silently locates any scene in Tokyo. While not always visible in the midst of a skyline filled with high-rises and skyscrapers, its orange and white figure is instantly recognizable. Built as a broadcast station in 1958, it is illuminated every night and broadcasts television and radio (analog and digital) 24/7.
The Institute of Industrial Science of Tokyo University, widely regarded as the top university in Japan, has erected a “smart house” on their Komaba Campus, in cooperation with LIXIL Housing Corporation’s Eyeful Home Company. The current structure, the COMMA house (COMfort MAnagement), is the start of a series of prototypes and tests geared toward creating more-or-less self-sufficient home. The project is expected to have plans for a standard smart house by 2020.
Electric cars have giant batteries (useful for a number of things besides driving the actual car, even). Also under consideration as the primary power source for electric cars (and buses, motorcycles, yachts, etc.) is the lithium ion capacitor.
Tokyo City proper has again decided to incorporate recent energy saving and renewable energy technology, calling it “Tokyo Specifications for Reduced and Renewable Energy.”
Wow, too many cool things in one places! Sanyo has just completed two solar parking lots for electric bikes in Tokyo. And a third one is on its way. [social_buttons] The first two stations are for 40 Eneloop electric bikes and the third one will be for 20 such bikes. … [continued]
Japan is planning to build a solar power station in space within the next 30 years. It is expected to cost $21 billion. How will they do it?
If you’re in Tokyo tomorrow, make sure to check out Sony’s exhibit at the FC EXPO 2009. The company will display the newest version of its hybrid fuel cell, which contains a Li-on battery and a methanol fuel cell.
