McLaren Honda F1

Honda held the press conference at its headquarters on May 16.

They officially announced that they will return to F1 by supplying the engine to McLaren in the year 2015.

“McLaren Honda”, that took the world by storm from the second half of the 1980's to the first half of the 1990's, returns to F1. This was the long awaited and best news that the Japanese car lovers are looking for.

What do you think is the purpose to participating again, though it takes hundreds of millions of Yen to participate in F1?

The F1 rule was revised from the 2014 season, and it was mandatory to have a great size reduction of the engine capacity from 2400cc to 1600cc with turbocharger. The smaller capacity is supplemented with the turbocharger, and the F1 engine development is now directly linked to the environmental technology improvement starting from hybrid engine, based on the rule revision that requires improvement in fuel consumption. The rule revision can be said as the part of big chance for the F1 return for Honda.

 

Honda has introduced the hybrid vehicles like INSIGHT and FIT, and is establishing the global hybrid technology in line with Toyota. It will improve its technology by the development of new F1 engine, and hope that it will lead its rivals by one step in the environmental sphere.

The F1 participation is effective in the improvement of brand image as “Publicity advertisement expenses”. Honda has planned to expand the world sales of the fiscal year 2016 to 6 million cars, and that is 50% more compared to the fiscal year 2012. Among that, it has aimed 3 million cars as the target for the emerging nations like China, India and Southeast Asia.

However, in the new emerging nation markets the European powers starting from Volkswagen have introduced low price models, and now the situation is to lead the domestic market with one step. To create the brand image in these countries, the F1 grand prix will be the suitable promotional stage where the grand prix is conducted in China, Bahrain, and India etc. Honda rumored that it will put cars of 500,000 YEN (US$ 5,000) (Rs.3,00,000) in Indian market. If it can take the booming new emerging nation markets by the F1 participation, then the real motive is that the spending of hundreds of millions of Yen will not be painful at all.

I am freely guessing the driver for the year 2015.

“Jenson Button”

Jenson Button drove the Honda F1 in the 3^rd stage and got its unique victory.

At present we also have driver of McLaren.

He is the same British national as McLaren.

Moreover, the girl now associated with Jenson Button is a Japanese girl.

There won’t be a person who fits the F1 driver up to this extent.

Anyhow, it is thrilling to think that the Honda engine sound will be heard at the F1 again.

Let us part with and enjoy the return of Honda!

It was because that McLaren Honda won 15 out of the 16 participation in the year 1988

In the near future, I wish to write a blog post on TOYATA F1 return without fail.

Here are some of the youtube videos

Next week blog is about the robot "ASIMO" by Honda

Kumi-candy

The same pattern appears when you cut in any of the variety of Kumi-candy and at any place.

A candy board is prepared in advance to imitate the color, the cut section is stretched long and narrow to extend to suitable thickness after arranging each position to be as per the drawing, and then cut. All the processes are done while the candy is hot and soft.

I would like you to see video without fail because the manufacturing process is interesting.
Preparation method
1) In the Kumi candy manufacturing, the design picture is laid as it is on the design drawing. Just before the manufacturing, the Kumi candy workman keeps in mind the work image of all the processes like each part ratio, arranging sequence etc. while making the parts ratio of the candy by his hand

2) At any time during the manufacturing, the workman precedes the work quickly and accurately, while checking the design image in the design drawing. The workman performs the work without stopping almost even for a moment after starting the manufacturing. 

3) Piled up text character part. The total number of parts is 44 and that includes every parts of the surrounding upper, lower, left, right, and spacer.

4) Even though the candy is piled up as per the design drawing, it will rapidly collapse due to the soft and white part where the bubble has entrapped by the self-weight. You cannot stop the work even for a moment. 

5) Even after piling up as per the design drawing, some quick and delicate work is required. The candy is elongated and then cut. The shape of the candy may collapse if the cutting process fails.

6) Candy before cutting and stretched to about 20mm diameter. The design and characters are beautifully reproduced. 

7) The completed “My candy” that is cut to a mouthful size of about 10mm width. Some slight variations in the candy are corrected by handwork.  

Kindly check the following youtube video.

Bsize

It is the smallest consumer electronics manufacturer in Japan.

The only employee of the company is the president Mr. Keita Yagi. 

The product that they sold on the market is a simple desk-top stand shown in this picture.

However, the popularity continues to the extent that 3 weeks of waiting time is required from the order to the product receipt, though 1 year has passed since the product launch.

The price is about 40,000 yen, and is not an inexpensive product, but a considerably high priced item.

One employee in the company means that the product planning, order management, assembly, and shipping will be done just by one person.

Conversely, this is that charm that is not present with the consumer electronics manufacturers in Japan till now.

What is that differs from other manufacturers?

First of all, it might be the obsessiveness.

The technology and sense that was cultivated till now are fully applied, all the compromises are removed, made by the individual with the items that are not compromised for quality, and then sold.

In case of major consumer electronics manufacturers in Japan, it is safely worked out without having a peculiar color so that everyone can buy.

Therefore, there are lots of products that can be purchased with ease, but all are almost similar type of items, and nothing can be done as it is not a big deal. How about the desk lamp of Bsize?

The style matches the simple and fashionable space, and you can feel the difference in the shade when lighting, and the switch.

There are lots of reasons to select this product, and surely, you will feel that this product will keep your interest for a very long time.

This product was not considered to sell a large quantities, but it is better that the interested persons alone buy this. I think that such bravery is also a charm.

In Japan, where the internet is fully spread, the environment to get the estimate and ordering all the parts necessary for the product through the internet is well-regulated. There is a presentiment that such a business style will surely change Japan in the future.

Bsize is one such a company.

Bsize official site

http://www.bsize.com/

Nippon Archives

Nippon Archives is the website created by the JR Tokai, the railway company that is running the bullet train (Shinkansen).

http://www.nipponarchives.jp/

The website gives the beautiful video and audio presentation of the nature, culture and tradition of various places in Japan.

You can also enjoy it by downloading from the iTunes.

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/podcast/id364011282

This site is not intended only for the foreigners to discover the beauty of Japan, but also for the Japanese to rediscover the goodness in Japan.

That is the purpose of this site, and I wish all the foreigners to see this website without fail.

Japan is the country that only manufactures products like the electronic products, and automobiles etc., but there are lots of such wonderful places are present in various regions of Japan.

It would be greatly appreciated if you can see the contents of the website one by one. 

There are lots of videos in the "Nippon archives 2013" in yutube. You can check that in the following link.
https://www.youtube.com/NipponArchives2013

AE86 COROLLA LEVIN and SPRINTER TRUENO - Part 2

I am writing about AE86, as the view count is higher for the previous blog post on AE86.
AE86 was manufactured during the year 1983 ~ 1987.
 
Until the time AE86 was created, the trend was to say “It is good to have a car with great engine power”. The concern was only with the engine power at the peak. It was the time when they showed off only the maximum speed and the horsepower.
 
During this period the AE86 with small engine displacement (1600cc) appeared in the market.
The youngsters noticed that the car pursued to surpass the engine power. It made us to understand that the car will not give happiness if it has only the power and not the ability to make complete or total tuning.
 
AE86 is the car that taught us the happiness of drifting (or taking a sharp turn) in the curve.

[As per wikipedia - "Drifting is a driving technique where the driver intentionally or unintentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels or all tires, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner." ]

This car was inexpensive, and there was lot of elements in the car to refine the driving technique. The fact is that the people had the sensation to buy the AE86 again even if it is scrapped.

A lot of remodeled parts have appeared in the market from the time of launch, and 30 years has passed, and even now new parts are being released. This can never be the case for other cars. It is a car that is continued being loved by people for a very long time. 

At that time of AE86 launch, the given name and formal name was called as LEVIN and TRUENO. The previous TE71 model and post AE92 model had inherited the same name of LEVIN and TRUENO. 

If you pronounce the number ‘86’ of the AE86 in Japanese language, it will be ‘HACHIROKU’, and till now this car is often called as HACHIROKU, that combines the affection and distinction.

TOYOTA launched the car "TOYOTA86" in 2012, and the source for the name is from this AE86.

The way this AE86 differs from other sports cars is that it is not the car that was produced as a sports car starting from the development stage like the Lotus Exige and Super 7, but is a general public car that takes over the name of LEVIN and TRUENO.

However as an unexpected result, the balance between the engine and chassis was perfect.

 

4AG (4-valve) AE86 Engine

4AG (5-valve) AE111 Engine

The structure of the car is simple with the following element

-The car can be maintained and tuned by the individual,

-Happiness as it was FR drive (rear-wheel-drive)

-It is light as the body and the engine are small.

-Inexpensive etc. 

All the above features combine, and even now it is called as the high value car.

It is interesting that all these are not the result based on some calculation, but the unexpected result.

From the above things, and also taking into account the Japan is a country with heavy rainfall, there are very few AE86 cars in good condition. This car cannot be easily purchased by the youngster like the past.

The sales volume was high because it was originally a general public car. This car was cheap, and was not properly handled compared to other sports car, the number of cars in good condition has reduced, and hence this car has become a highly valuable car like the other high-class sports car.

Total production:              315,294 cars

LEVIN for domestic:         66, 105 cars

TRUENO for domestic:    35, 469 cars

For overseas:                  213,720 cars

What do you think about the number of cars these carts that are available at present?

If you have an AE86 then you will be driving it with great care.

The AE86 has got a very good name in the Japanese market, and when TOYOTA launched the car TOYOTA86, that inherits the name of AE86,  it had put considerable effort right from the development of the car. The TOYOTA86 was the car launched with confidence on the market.

It is the one car that I wish all the car lovers all over the world to drive.

I would like you to actually feel the goodness of the Japanese sports car and the happiness of driving. I recommend this with confidence. 

You can check some of these youtube videos of AE86.

I would still like to write more on AE86.