?Demotorization? of youth plaguing Japanese auto sales

[SVT666]

?Demotorization? of youth plaguing Japanese auto sales

New car sales have seen a significant drop off in the U.S., but they will eventually recover. Japan is experiencing a similar drop off, but there is a real concern that sales might never recover. Whereas the automobile is still as status symbol and a logistical necessity in the U.S., Japan?s youth are quickly falling out of love with the car.

Japan?s auto market hit a high of 7.78 million units sold in 1990, but has seen a steady decline ever since. New car sales will total about 5.11 million units this year, with 2009?s sales expect to fall to below the 5 million unit mark for the first time in three decades, according to The Detroit News.

Although the slowing global economy is partly to blame for the drop off, a significant portion of the decline can be attributed to ?kuruma banare?, the Japanese term for the ?demotorization? of the nation?s youth. ?Young people?s interest is shifting from cars to communication tools like personal computers, mobile phones and services,? Yoichiro Ichimaru, Toyota?s head of domestic sales, told The Detroit News.

Automakers haven?t completely given up on trying to selling the youth new cars, they just need to find new ways to do so. Toyota has built an entire mall complete with several showrooms to entice the nation?s youth while Nissan has resorted to hiring big name stars for commercials and launching several customization programs. However, the new methods have yet to strike a chord with the younger generations, which could see automakers relying more heavily on exports in the coming years.

[dazzleman]

Is this related to the fac that their economy hasn't been that great for over 10 years?  I wonder if younger people aren't buying cars because they can't afford them?

I could easily see that happen in the US to some extent, given the fact that the number of cars per family has increased, and many people are struggling with their debt loads, which include payments on all those additional cars.

[MX793]

Keep in mind that in Japan, people buy a brand new car like every 2-3 years and few buy used cars (hence why used cars go for cheap there).  This decline in new car sales may be a result of younger buyers seeing the value in used cars, or choosing to keep a new car longer.

[dazzleman]

Good point.

I don't think my part of the US is necessarily representative, but younger people here have been driving much newer cars than they did when I was a teenager/young adult.  When I was that age, most people my age drove clunkers.  We sure as hell didn't have parents making car payments for us, and I'm not from a poor family.  But now, the high school parking lot near me is filled every day with late model fancy cars.

Maybe we'll start seeing a similar thing happen in the US as is happening in Japan.

[Rich]

It's just so easy to get around without a car here.  The only real reason I "need" to use mine is to lug my military gear onto base, and to bring home the groceries.  Usually in Japanese families, a woman (gf, wife, who knows) swings by the store on their bike and pick up what they need for the next day or two without having a huge grocery load.

Anytime I want to go shopping, see a movie, or go eat off base I have no reason to drive

[Rich]

Maybe we'll start seeing a similar thing happen in the US as is happening in Japan.

Its still so hard to get around without a car there.  When I go back and visit, it's very frustraing because I can't really get anything done unless I want to pay for a hugely expensive cab ride.

I think used cars in the US are in much poorer shape than used cars here too.  People here drive so little that you can pick up a 10 year old mainstream car for cheap (since people don't like used) with only about 40-50,000 miles on them.  The lack of salt and potholes/bad roads tends to keep the cars in good shape too

[dazzleman]

Its still so hard to get around without a car there.  When I go back and visit, it's very frustraing because I can't really get anything done unless I want to pay for a hugely expensive cab ride.

I think used cars in the US are in much poorer shape than used cars here too.  People here drive so little that you can pick up a 10 year old mainstream car for cheap (since people don't like used) with only about 40-50,000 miles on them.  The lack of salt and potholes/bad roads tends to keep the cars in good shape too

Still, there are many people here who keep their cars a relatively short time, and who buy late model cars for their kids.  They've been able to do this by taking on a lot of debt and car payments.  I wonder if the tightening of credit will change their practices.

I agree that a car is much more essential in most parts of the US than in Japan, but somehow I doubt younger people there are not buying cars simply because they lost interest in them in favor of ipods.  The two are not comparable.  It has to be economic on some level, and we could face similar trends here in the US.

[Madman]

This has been going on for several years now.  The thing you have to remember is Japan is a small, heavily urbanised country with a highly concentrated population.  City streets in Japan are notorious for being gridlocked at all hours of the day and night.  It's not just traffic that's the problem, either.  Finding a place to park your car can also be a logistical nightmare.

Ever wonder why the 660cc "Kei" class microcars are so popular in Japan?  It's not just because they're small enough where they can be parked almost anywhere.  There's a law in Japan which says if you are buying a car, you have to show proof you have a place to park it.  Kei cars are exempt from this law, hence their popularity.

Combine all these factors with the fact Japan has one of the best public transport systems in the world and is it any wonder why young people have little interest in cars?  If I lived in Japan, I probably wouldn't own a car, either.  I might keep a classic or vintage car if I were fortunate enough to have an enclosed garage (a luxury in Japan) but I obviously wouldn't need a car for the daily grind.

In America, this really isn't an issue.  Unless you live in New York, Boston or Chicago, you NEED a car!  In most of America, public transport ranges from woefully inadequate to non-existent.  People young and old will continue to buy cars out of sheer necessity.  The type of cars we buy will surely change, and change for the better.  Smaller, more versatile and more intelligent cars will replace the gas-guzzling behemoths of yesteryear.  Using an F-150 as a grocery-getter will sound as ridiculous to younger Americans as it does to everyone else in the world.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[sportyaccordy]

In my circle of friends... I am the only one with a car

It doesn't really make much sense in an urban environment.

Still, I don't know how people lose interest in this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCCbp734UcI

It's a matter of economics, not lost interest

[2o6]

In my circle of friends... I am the only one with a car

It doesn't really make much sense in an urban environment.

Still, I don't know how people lose interest in this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCCbp734UcI

It's a matter of economics, not lost interest

Drift? Lame US sport.



What we really need to do is some real Touge racing.

[MX793]

Drift? Lame US sport.



What we really need to do is some real Touge racing.

Drift came from Japan.

[2o6]

Drift came from Japan.

I know that. But the US has "riced" it out so much, I can't stand to look at it without becoming enraged.

[the Teuton]

The Japanese are technology-driven.  If a $2,000 phone makes more sense to them than buying a brand new car, more power to them.  It's a matter of priorities.  The Japanese companies are just going to have to learn how to deal.

When China is fully industrialized (and practically capitalized), I guarantee this will happen there.  Then everyone in the world, car manufacturer-wise, is going to have to worry.

[ChrisV]

Combine all these factors with the fact Japan has one of the best public transport systems in the world and is it any wonder why young people have little interest in cars? 

yeah, the commute in Japan is the best...



I prefer my commute.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

yeah, the commute in Japan is the best...



I prefer my commute.

gropers paradise

[Rich]

yeah, the commute in Japan is the best...

I prefer my commute.

So you leave an hour earlier before the trains start becoming that congested.  Your ignorance kills me, Chris

[hotrodalex]

So you leave an hour earlier before the trains start becoming that congested.  Your ignorance kills me, Chris

Or just drive and get an extra hour of sleep.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Or just drive and get an extra hour of sleep.

Or just sleep on the train standing up. 

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Or just drive and get an extra hour of sleep.

I sleep to the very last minute everyday!

[Rich]

Or just drive and get an extra hour of even less sleep.

Traffic here is horrible.

[MX793]

Or just drive and get an extra hour of sleep.

I'd imagine that if the public transit is that packed, the roads would be even worse.

[sparkplug]

I'd imagine that if the public transit is that packed, the roads would be even worse.

That's why I teleport to work.

[SVT666]

So you leave an hour earlier before the trains start becoming that congested.  Your ignorance kills me, Chris

Go to work at 5:00am?  No thanks.  That's what the trains in Calgary are like during rush hour, and I lasted a month before I was ready to commit murder.

[ChrisV]

So you leave an hour earlier before the trains start becoming that congested.  Your ignorance kills me, Chris

So, spend even MORE hours "working"? And not get paid for it? THAT'S ignorant.

You really need to learn the definition of the terms you use.

[Tave]

So, spend even MORE hours "working"? And not get paid for it?

Or he could take the extra time to go to a store around his workplace and get a cup of coffee, read a newspaper, do some errands, schedule an appointment, surf on SPIN, etc...

Or he could put up with the crowds.



I don't quite understand your point. Are you saying that people who live in Japan should move to another country because of rush-hour congestion?

[ChrisV]

No. My point was that while Japan has the best public transportation system in the world, it's not the shiny happy panacea it's often made out to be, so don't hold it up as being necessarily better than what we have here.

[Madman]

No. My point was that while Japan has the best public transportation system in the world, it's not the shiny happy panacea it's often made out to be, so don't hold it up as being necessarily better than what we have here.

I never said Japan's mass transit system was some sort of utopia.  But at least they have one available!  My public transport options for getting to work are precisely ZERO.  No bus, no train, no subway.  Nada, zip, zilch.  It's either drive to work or stay home and eat weeds.  At least the Japanese and Europeans are given the choice of car vs. public transport.  Here in the so-called "Land of the Free" I have no choice.

Cheers,
Madman of the People

[L. ed foote]

My public transport options for getting to work are precisely ZERO.  No bus, no train, no subway. 

You need to move from the sticks

[ChrisV]

I never said Japan's mass transit system was some sort of utopia.  But at least they have one available!  My public transport options for getting to work are precisely ZERO.  No bus, no train, no subway.  Nada, zip, zilch.  It's either drive to work or stay home and eat weeds.  At least the Japanese and Europeans are given the choice of car vs. public transport.  Here in the so-called "Land of the Free" I have no choice.

Cheers,
Madman of the People

Here in the land of the free, our cities were often built up after the advent of the car, rather than having been around for centuries before it. Our living zones were thus often set up with driving in mind. In a country smaller than some of our states, it's easy to have end to end mass transit. It's much harder (and less efficient) in a nation this large and spread out, and do it in such a way that it caters to the freedom of doing things on your own schedule.

I can take a bus and train and bus to my work, but in order for the bus and the train to be useful to a wide range of people, it can't go straight there and it has to be able to (and does) stop in a lot of places. So what for me is a 15 minute commute by car turns into an hour commute by bus. It also costs $3.50 per day, while my gas costs around $10 a week.

[L. ed foote]

yeah, the commute in Japan is the best...



I prefer my commute.

Maybe not...