Friday, May 16, 2008


YOU CAN'T GET IT THERE FROM HERE


Reading lately of all the coast-to-coast US lamenting and gnashing of teeth and gears at the looming 4 dollars per gallon price of gasoline, I can't help but chuckle with satisfaction over here in Japan, where gasoline is already heading north of 6$ per gallon, at the mileage of my Honda Cub (the best-selling motor vehicle in history), which I use for local journeys and which gets over 300 miles per gallon. I've had it for 10 years and only had to fix a flat once. It starts instantly every time, winter or summer. I fill the 3 liter tank about once every three months. They don't sell Honda Cubs in the states, though I can't imagine why not... Must be that folks in the US don't want Honda Cubs because they're not there...



Then on Saturday I read this "Say what?"headline:

Japan begins talks to expand gasoline exports to US

and my head did that Wiley Coyote yaggeda-yaggeda mind-restorer thing. It got worse when I read this quote: "Japan's falling oil demand has left it with spare refining capacity and Japanese refiners are eager to boost gasoline exports, as that would compensate for steadily decreasing domestic consumption [my bold] due to a peaking population and the increased popularity of fuel-efficient smaller cars." AS THE GAS PRICE HEADS FOR THE SKY?

Excuse me while I run outside and check what planet I'm on...


11 comments:

Anonymous said...

A new supermarket opened close to our neighborhood. Nice place with everything you can think of. Except one flavor of one brand of chips that we happen to prefer. When we asked why they did not stock them, the answer was "because nobody buys them." The store manager became incensed when I suggested he was unclear on the concept...

Been looking at scooters and small motorcycles. Wish we had this one available...

Mary Lou said...

Yep!! I think I would buy one if I knew I wanted one. But I dont know that because we dont have them. ;)

Mage said...

Environmental stuff. And too, they want to sell us cars. We bought a Toyota, 41 mpg, and I want a Vespa....that will do well for errands. We aren't mentioning the full sized Chevy truck that used to get 30mpg until it was "fixed" and now gets 17.

Oh, this is a subject I can rant on forever.

I like the new pictures that bloom in your side bar.

Unknown said...

Just coming back from a month in Japan, we were surprised though how very few people ride a scooter, compared say f. e. in Bali or Vietnam. Over here in Germany gas is 1,53 Euro (the very cheapest!)per liter and there is appr. 4 liter to the gallon. Mind you this is Euro!!!!

ruikalla said...

I'm pretty fond of my 67 Honda Trail 90. Can't get as good of mileage as you but sure beats filling up the pickup all the time.

Joy Des Jardins said...

Well, now that I know we don't have them....poop, I miss them. They're very cute Bob. Got anything else I would miss?

Hey, I'm really liking your sidebar pics....VERY cool. I see you've been making some alterations...I especially love the one of you holding your sweet baby. So beautiful.

Robert Brady said...

Yes, that's Kasumi, Ibiza-born, then only a few days old - with a garlic flower behind her ear - now married to an architect and living outside Tokyo, mother of Kaya and the twins Mitsuki and Miasa, whom I write about when they visit and take over the immediate universe...

The thread of life is one ongoing astonishment...

Martin J Frid said...

Nice wedding photo. I have a similar one, although yours is a little more faded. Care to tell us the story behind it, one of those days?

As for mileage bragging, I get about 10km per 1/2 litre of breakfast mikan juice on my bicycle. Still trying to improve that. The Saitama hills can be mean.

BTW I sent you an email on May 11, maybe it got stuck in your spam filter?

Robert Brady said...

Martin, I sent you a reply about a half hour before finding this comment, but thanks for the reminder; things can get busy around here.

Robert Brady said...

PS: fruit juice is indeed excellent fuel...

Anonymous said...

EXACTLY--what planet, indeed! I haven't noticed much steadily decreasing domestic consumption of anything; muchless gasoline. Sure, why not get in on the ridiculousness of it all...

Love, Love, Love the Cub...color and all!