One of my new year's resolutions is to contribute more to the Simpson blog. On this rainy and grey day in Paris I'll share with you a few random shots of my recent trip to Japan. Over the next year I will be attempting to attract Japanese electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturers to invest in France. Why France, you ask? Well, for one, it produces the cheapest electricity in Europe through its extensive network of nuclear power stations. As the Japanese are interested in gaining greater shares of the European auto market, wining and dining are in order.
The Japanese have a very refined and healthy cuisine. Most of the time you don't really know what you're eating, but presentation goes a long way.
Here is part of my team. The mission was organized by the French Embassy in Tokyo, the French Petroleum Institute, the Paris Regional Economic Development Agency and the Yvelines County Council.
For my one day of freedom from Mitsubishi, Honda, Sanyo, Hitachi, and Yanmar , I strolled in some of Tokyo's public gardens during peak foliage season.
Japanese architecture is all about the intimacy of interior spaces. Hard to capture with an iphone.
The city of Himeji. In six days we traveled via bullet train from Tokyo to Nagoya to Kyoto to Himeji and back. Nagoya is home to Toyota, leaps and bonds ahead in hybrid technology.
Tokyo's core is occupied by the imperial palace. This is only a guard house.
Real fish.
Yokohama vending machines.
A very bad copy.
Test driving the new Mitsubishi Mi-EV. At $35 000 for a tiny compact with little horsepower, a very tough sell. France is offering 5000 Euros rebate to encourage electric vehicle sales. Will it make a difference?
Himeji castle framed by Japanese maples. Atop the hill sits one of three remaining Japanese castles built entirely of wood.
Though tourist-filled, Tokyo's traditional Japanese gardens inspire calm.
Japanese architecture is all about the intimacy of interior spaces. Hard to capture with an iphone.
The city of Himeji. In six days we traveled via bullet train from Tokyo to Nagoya to Kyoto to Himeji and back. Nagoya is home to Toyota, leaps and bonds ahead in hybrid technology.
Tokyo's core is occupied by the imperial palace. This is only a guard house.
In every city I visit I always take a few shots of public transit. It's the planner in me. In the world's largest megalopolis organization is key. This goes from encouraging face masks for riders experiencing symptoms of illness to discouraging women from applying make up .
Some neat little griddle cakes with read bean filling.
Real fish.
Yokohama vending machines.
A very bad copy.
Test driving the new Mitsubishi Mi-EV. At $35 000 for a tiny compact with little horsepower, a very tough sell. France is offering 5000 Euros rebate to encourage electric vehicle sales. Will it make a difference?
Himeji castle framed by Japanese maples. Atop the hill sits one of three remaining Japanese castles built entirely of wood.
Though tourist-filled, Tokyo's traditional Japanese gardens inspire calm.
It was a good business trip but Id like to go back as a tourist. Next time Id like to hike up Mt Fuji, only an hour north of Tokyo.
For the time being the Japanese automakers plan to continue their R&D from the comfort of their home country, although Nissan and Mitsubishi have already forged partnerships with the two major French carmakers, PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault to work together on new models.
I don't know if the electric car has a future, but the county I work for has decided to focus resources on promoting its potential. As a proponent of car-sharing in a very congested metropolis, I hope the electric car debate urges us to consider new forms of urban mobility.
posted by Jake at 1/24/2010 07:17:00 AM
8 Comments:
Nice post, Jake. Interesting job with great side bennies. Too bad WB can't hear about what you're doing. Things have changed a bit since he hung out with the Japanese.
Charlie
thanks for the pics, neph. you got one of a vending machine but no japanese washing machine or beautiful japanese woman. what up wit dat?
nice if a few frogs drive around in overpriced electro vehicles but what about dem billion chinese? they be burning a lotta fossil fuel in the decades ahead. make america and europa's usage look like child's play.
i recently got me an old beauty for a pittance. as ungreen as you can get this side of an SUV. she's gotta monster 4.5 liter v-8 that guzzles like a thirsty ogre on a bottle a bud. gonna drive it for a year or so and enjoy its hum rattle and roll. touch the accelerator and she goes like a banchee on a lightin rod. whoosh! handles like a go-cart. 75mph like's she's standin still. yup, one last go around before we're all scootin around in little tin boxes with hard rubber wheels.
unca bill
Good stuff Jake. Makes me want to visit Japan.
The electric cars are the future. Given time and continued r&d, the technology will improve and prices will drop.
Too bad the american companies don't have a little more foresight.
The job sounds fascinating. Where to next?
jim
Jake
Great post man and great photos. Sounds like you have a nice gig working for the county. You live in Paris, how do you transport yourself to the office, public trans?
american car companies have been trying to build electric cars since 1900. gm spent billions on the ev1. it looked like it had a future but was suddenly snuffed out. now they have this new deal coming this summer, the volt. ford has one also. too bad amurican drivers don't want them.
toyota announced last week they see no future in fully electric cars.
when i was a kid they promised us flying cars like george jetson had. where's my flying car?
buy, and ride, a bike.
twbs
Charlie, My Grandma Roan, my last living grandparent, was a bit troubled by the idea of me working with the Japanese as she mostly has bad memories from the experiences of "Grandfathers" in the Pacific. The world sure has changed over 2 generations. More than most foreign countries Ive visited, much about Japan reminded me of the US. American business and investment have had a profound influence on the country's 20th and 21st century development, for better and for worst.
Bill, going electric in the US is a hard sell in any case, as 50% of electricity is generated by fossil fuel, mainly coal. What you need to keep in mind though is not how to make the most out of what's available while you can, but how to use what's available to make the most out of what you have. Otherwise you're just burning fuel. You're right on about the Chinese, but I think the solution is to worry about ourselves first as they tend to just copy everything we do.
Jim, Ill meet you there and we can hike up Mt Fuji. It's a shitload of fuel to get there though, so you'll have to bike to the grocery store for a few months to compensate for your carbon footprint.
Dave, perhaps my next blog will be devoted to my daily commute on public transit. Basically, I walk 200 meters to the metro, spend 25 minutes underground, then arrive at the train station to take a 15 minute train to Versailles. Upon arrival I walk to my office, about 1 mile. Door to door 1hour, for about 20 miles. When it's hot it's hell as there's no AC, but otherwise you learn to live with it with a newspaper and an ipod. If I were to drive it would take me even longer in all the traffic.
Hey, why don't you show us a few shots of your new place?
love the optimism, neph. would love to see no more war and neil young prez-a-dent too. but oh lord we got human nature to deal wit here. and human nature don't give a tit fer waitin & puttin up wit less. human nature want free-toes in da mouf and power when i push the pedal now!
like bob marley say: every need got a ego feed.
& i say: the man who finds truth has just become a fascist.
Jacob,
I love your open, intelligent mind & your egalitarian perspective of the world. . .such as it is. I am very proud of all of your accomplishments. Be happy. Don't stop till you get enough. . .
xoxoxoxoxo mum
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