As you know, Japan is the one of the world's biggest car industry. Everyday, I can see many Japanese cars here in the U.S., such as Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi. I think that Japanese people have been trying to improve their technology to become a more prosperous country because Japan has limited natural resources. Specifically, environmentally friendly cars have been improved these day. Many Japanese people try to save money because of economic downfall and high gas price, so Japanese people seek for fuel-efficient cars.
While I was traveling in Japan last month, I got on my friend's car and my parent-in-law's car. My husband and I were impressed about how Japanese cars have been improving their technology since we moved to the U.S. I'm going to share with you what we were impressed. You might have seen some of them before in the U.S., but from a stand point of 2006 model car owner, these improvements were surprising.
First of all, most cars have GPS in Japan. In the U.S., people also use GPS now, I think GPS is more highly-popularized in Japan because unlike U.S., roads in Japan are complex. Using GPS is also related to saving fuel because it prevents getting lost.
When you get into reverse gear, the GPS monitor turns into a rear view camera to help reverse parking.
When you get into reverse gear, the car announces, "Now, you are in reverse gear." Because sometimes car accidents happen in parking lots by incorrect operation, the announcement prevents accidents.
When you are exceeding the maximum speed limits, the car announces, "Be careful with your speed." Some people think it is annoying, but I think it's great because you won't get speeding tickets. :)
When you are stopped at a red light, the car engine is automatically turned off to avoid idling away. According to Wikipedia, "Idle reduction describes technologies and practices that minimize the amount of time drivers idle their engines. Avoiding idling time has a multitude of benefits, including; garnering savings in fuel and maintenance costs, extending vehicle life and reducing damaging emissions for better health and global sustainability." Energy Conservation Center in Japan says that the fuel consume amount during idling more than 5 seconds is equivalent to the gas consumption of when starting the engine. I think that idle reduction is not very common in the U.S., but when I am waiting in line at a gas station, I always open windows to get fresh air and turn off the engine. I try to avoid idling away as much as I could while I am parking. However, I don't turn off my engine while stopped at a red light in the U.S. because it is still considered as outrageous action.
While driving, you can see how you drive fuel efficiently. While driving in Japan, I tried to drive economic friendly with referring the fuel consumption indicator. :)
Kei car, a Japanese category of small vehicles, is getting more and more popular because of how environmentally friendly these cars are. The engine is 660 cc, but it is powerful enough to drive on city roads. In addition, the car is small, but it is spacious enough for a small family. Moreover, it easy to drive on narrow roads and to park in small parking spaces.
When my husband went to a gas station in Japan, he had no idea to find out how to open the gas tank lid for my father-in-law's car. My husband called my father-in-law and asked about that. He needed to take out the key and just push the lid by hand. There was no lever for opening the lid inside the car. We thought this prevents locking your key in your car and static electricity.
I felt reverse culture shock while getting on Japanese cars in Japan. Even though I had already known that Japan is the one of the world's biggest car industry, I was reminded about that fact again. :)
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