Posts Tagged: Toyota

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30
Apr 10

Nagoya: Golden Dolphins and the Legendary Sword

Perhaps best known globally for its short-listed (failed) bid for the 1988 Summer Olympics, Nagoya is the 4th most populated city in Japan with about 2.17 million inhabitants. Located about 225 miles west of Tokyo in the Aichi prefecture along the Pacific Ocean, Nagoya is accessible by train from Tokyo in between 3 and 3 ½ hours.

Nagoya is home to several art museums as well as the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, one of the largest zoos in Asia that includes an amusement park as well. You may also decide to tour the Noritake factory, where world-famous fine china is manufactured. Nagoya is also famous for the 5th tallest building in Japan, Midland Square, which just opened in 2007 as the new international sales headquarters for Toyota.

One of the most popular tourist locations in Nagoya is Nagoya Castle, a castle restored to look like the original castle that stood in its place since 1612. It famously burned during World War II, so the current castle is a faithful reconstruction that was completed in 1959. Although many of the artifacts were destroyed, some of the original paintings were salvaged and are on display. One of the most iconic features of the Nagoya Castle is what many people call the “golden fish.” Two giant statues called the kinshachi are actually golden dolphin statues with tiger-like heads. They are placed on both ends of the roof and are meant, in a spiritual sense, to protect the castle from further fire.

If you’re in Nagoya, you should also stop at the Atsuta Shrine, the second most important shrine to the Shinto religion. Besides the beautiful grounds and architecture, you may get a glimpse of one of around 4400 national treasures, but don’t expect to see the legendary Kusanagi sword, a sword literally from legend (think Excalibur) and one of the three sacred treasures of Japan. The sword is rumored to be at the shrine, but no one from the public may see it. Even if you can’t see a sacred treasure, you may be in Nagoya during one of 70 annual festivals, so you’ll have plenty to do to enjoy your tour of the grounds.

Have you ever visited Nagoya? Would you be interested in touring Nagoya Castle, even though it’s a restoration? Do you think the Kusanagi sword exists?

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17
Feb 10

Toyota’s Gas Pedal Problems Becomes a Global Issue?

Toyota Recall

The Avalon, Camry, Corolla, and other models are affected by the recall.

If you’ve been paying attention to car news—and I certainly hope you have if you own a Toyota—Toyota is calling for massive recalls after discovering a glitch with the gas pedal in some models of its cars that causes the accelerator to become stuck, overriding brakes and causing accidents, injuries, and deaths across the globe. While this is no doubt a serious problem for which the Japanese automaker must take action and face the consequences of a huge sales drop, some lawmakers in Japan are worried that this problem in the private sector will become a “global issue.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya has been quoted as saying, “I’m worried. It’s not just the problem of one company but a domestic issue.”1 He’s not alone. The US is the largest buyer of motor vehicles and so it has the largest number of recalls associated with this problem. Toyota CEO Toyoda Akio has been subpoenaed by the US Congress to testify before a congressional committee about the company’s safety procedures.

But what does this, the matter of a private company, have to do with Japan’s relationship with the US as a nation? Well, Japanese lawmakers are already having a difficult time negotiating with the US over the relocation of an American marine base in Okinawa after the new Japanese Prime Minister, Hatoyama Yukio, halted negotiations as part of his party’s promise to “reexamine” existing ties with the US. The Japanese government has also been asked by the American government to be more lenient with “green” tax laws for vehicles that benefit Japanese cars in Japan far more than American cars.

Lawmakers fear that on top of these problems, if the Toyota heads appear unfriendly or unwilling to work with the American Congress at these hearings, this could spark a tense tax-related “trade war” with America similar to one the countries experienced in the 1980s and 90s. However, not everyone is that concerned, pointing out that this is the matter of a private company and they believe that Toyota will do its best to comply with the US Congress’ wishes.

Should the problems of one private company in a foreign country be responsible for “tension” between the two nations? Would any American expect, for example, Japan to start a trade war with the US over the mistakes of Microsoft in their country? Or, does it make a huge difference because Microsoft’s products are less likely to cause injury, even when they fail, than that of Toyota’s?

1 Associated Press. “Japan worried that Toyota’s problems cut hurt U.S. ties.” Japan Today. 14 Feb. 2010. Politics. 15 Feb. 2010. <http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/japan-worried-that-toyotas-problems-could-hurt-us-ties>.