Recently in Japan Category

Grabbing a propane-run taxi is nothing unusual in Tokyo, but you need to be lucky to catch a hybrid taxi. Soon, you may have a much better chance of grabbing hybrids anywhere in Tokyo, and other major cities in Japan.

Recently, I was one of the fortunate few to catch a ride in Toyota's best-selling hybrid, the Prius. My driver excitedly told me about his three-month long experience with the new vehicle. Hybrid cars are no longer part of tomorrow's world here, and they are already helping slash demand for gasoline across Japan.

A mix of jubilation and fear is in the air in Tokyo today. Yukio Hatoyama has been sworn in as the country's 93rd prime minister. In the few hours since he was approved by parliament, he has promised everything from straight talk with the Americans on beef and war, to slashing emissions by 25% in just ten years. 

Japan has turfed out the Liberal Democratic Party, dominant since 1955, and ushered in a new party with a new leader. The Japanese are certainly enjoying an Obama moment. And just like America back on January 20, the sight of a new leader promising sweeping change is bringing as much terror to Japan's vested interests as it is bringing euphoria to those who felt on the short end of Japan's decades-long deflation.

Fear is especially powerful for the Sogo Shosha, the middle-aged warrior class that feeds -- and feeds off -- Japan's giant $5 trillion-a-year economy. The Japanese insist, above all, that Hatoyama must finally fix the economy. And he's expected to take aim at the kind of cronyism that is their life-blood.