Coach Alberto Zaccheroni returns home to Italy

Coach Alberto Zaccheroni  (Japan Soccer representative) returned to his home country Italy today (July 1, 2014)

In his interview before leaving Japan, he conveyed his frank feelings.

“I really had a very good relation with the organization, the team and the players, and I say this with frank feeling. You can understand this by seeing the warm reception by all these supporters, and as we have created a very good relation, somehow I have a strongly feeling of loneliness. I think that the memories of these 4 years in Japan would firmly stay in my heart. I really thank you all for having a wonderful time for all these four years spent together. I feel that you have given me more than what I have given you.”
Then he said in Japanese language “Ganbarimashou” (Meaning: Let us work hard). "

Question: Do you have any plans to coach a team in future?

I will take rest for some time, and would like to take full rest. I would go back to my family and spend some time, and yet I have not exhausted all my passion to soccer here. Initially, I will take rest, and there is a possibility that I may do some activity. It is difficult to think the next immediately after dealing with such a wonderful 4 years, and such a wonderful team. It is very difficult to move to new reality after having such a reality. I think that it would not be honest to say more than this, and with that, of course I still have an option of “Retirement”.

Question: Finally, do you have any message to the people of Japan?

“Even after returning to my home country, the supporters and citizens greeted with warm welcome. They dealt with me as if we really won the World Cup. I personally feel that every day in these four years, the people who I come across the streets, and those in the stadium, the supporters gave us a lot of support, and I really feel receiving a lot of energy from them. The supporters wished to convey their emotions of the coach, and I wish to convey to those supporters would stay in the heart of the coach eternally.”

Those who worked hard for Japan would return to the home country with only good memories.

The result of the World Cup was not good, but I feel very proud about the Japanese who accepted their coach warmly until the end.

You have all put your best efforts. Thanks.

Next generation model debut of Roadster on September 4

Mazda has announced that they will debut the next model of open sports car of twin seat type “Roadster” to the public on September 4, 2014.

They will debut at the commemoration event of the 25th anniversary of the sale to be held at Chiba Prefecture, Urayasu City.

The event will be held at Japan, U.S. and Europe simultaneously, and the recruitment of the participant is accepted at the specially designed site from July 4 in Japan. Participation will be for the first 1200 people.

Toyota President enters as race driver in the Nurburgring 24hr race

[Nurburgring (North west Germany)]  One of the most prominent car endurance race “Nurburgring 24hr race” will he held from 21~22 at this place.

Toyota Shouichirou (58), the president of Toyota Motor participates in the Lexus sports car "LFA".

The participation after assuming the office of the president is for the second consecutive year, is for driving one and a half hours with the Lexus sports car "LFA".
 
The Toyota president held the steering wheel in the car number 48 for about 1 hour on 21st, and about 30 minutes on 22nd, and finished it on the same day after 4pm by his own driving.
 
Toyota is participating from the year 2007 with the aim of car development and technical improvement of employee mechanic. The LFA and 86 have participated from the stage of the concept model.

Sales start of DAIHATSU COPEN

Daihatsu Kogyo Co., Ltd. made the full model change of the light open sports car "COPEN", and made the nationwide market launch on June 19, 2014. 

Among the 2 design models announced at the same time, the entry price of the “COPEN Robe” expressing the throb feeling and elegance as the sports car is US$17,800 (1,798,200 yen), and the sales has started.

The other “COPEN X (Copen Cross) model” is scheduled for sale in the autumn of 2014.

How the Japan market will show its reaction to the Copen that is being sold ahead of the HONDA Beat, is going to be very interesting.

If this Copen sells well, then I wish to see the revival of the vanished sports car activity like the NISSAN Sylvia, HONDA prelude, and MAZDA RX-7

NISSAN Sylvia

HONDA prelude

MAZDA RX-7

The Japanese car is energetic for the first time in the recent years.

Fair lady Z Roadster (open) production stop

Nissan announced that the production of the Japan domestic model of Fair lady Z Roadster (open body) will be stopped after completing the order received until September end of 2014.

There is no other option because the sales is only 800 cars in the five years after the sales start in 2009.

It was completely a loss and below the breakeven.
Mitsubishi Motors will also stop the production of Lancer evolution in this autumn.

Lancer Evolution

On the other hand,
For Toyota, the sales of TOYOTA86 is good, and it has announced the revival of SUPRA.

86 Rocket bunny

SUPRA

Subaru has BRZ and WRX.

BRZ STI

WRX STI

Honda has NSX and Civic type R.

NSX

CIVIC type-R

You can feel the power in these 3 companies.

Then, why the Fair lady Z Roadster and Lancer evolution was withdrawn and stopped from production.
The reason is simple. The brand image is very sluggish in the Japanese market.
 
Though all the automobile manufacturers have worked out big restructuring and reduction balance plan due to Lehman shock, and have now under revival. They came out with the vigor and energy.
Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors also received the impact of Lehman shock in the year 2008, and have entered the state of shrinking.
In marked contrast, their President spearheaded companies at the critical time like Toyota.
 
Only the Company with force and energy can produce a sports model, and the user is also responding to the enthusiasm of the automobile manufacturer.
To say more this is not only limited to sports model.
I wish a healthy manufacturer makes a high value added car (price, performance, and quality), and a brand with positive image.
For this reason, I think that Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors did not catch up with the expansion of the market. This is the area that I would like them to work hard and put their best efforts.

Seriously damaged TOYOTA 2000GT

On June 8, 2014 at 9:45 am, a Japanese beech tree of about 30 meters in height and 1.9 meter in diameter growing along the slope of the 156th National highway in Toyama Prefecture fell down across the road.
The tree feel hit the sports car traveling directly below, and a male company employee (28 years) of the Yamato-Koriyama City in Nara Prefecture driving the car was slightly injured with the cuts and bruise in his arm.

As per the police report, the beech tree collapsed from the root and directly hit the bonnet of the sports car.The sports car is the famous “Toyota 2000GT”, and it suffered serious damage by the crushing of the trunk and the branch.

There were no fellow passengers in the car.

The Toyota 2000GT is the most valuable car with total production of only 337 cars. It made the headlines when it was successfully bid for about 1.16 million dollars (about 118 million yen) at the auction held by the M/s.RM auctions that especially handles the classic cars.

As a Japanese car it is one of the most valuable car with a very high price tag, and one of that car is now vanished.

Toyota announces mass production start of fuel cell car

It is now known that the Toyota Motors has planned to start the mass production of the fuel cell car assumed as the favorite of the next generation eco-friendly car during the middle of December.

They are also investigating to accelerate the sales within the year 2014, instead of the planned launch around 2015. It is believed that the price of one fuel cell car will be about US$78,000 (8 million yen).

The fuel cell car is produced on the scale of about 10 cars/month at the factory in Toyota City of Aichi Prefecture.
The plan is to increase the sales by reducing the price to about US$ 30000~48000 (3 ~ 5 million yen) in the 20's, and also to increase the production scale to thousands of cars per year.

However, the establishment of the hydrogen station to refill the hydrogen, the fuel for the car, is not progressing, and is becoming the biggest obstacle for the sales expansion.

 

Do you like to buy the fuel cell car?

The 14th Dalai Lama and Koucha-Kaden

The paramount leader of Tibet Buddhist, the 14th Dalai Lama visited Japan the other day.

A photo of him was taken at the convenience store Seven Eleven, when he stopped for a break, on his way to the public performance.

On his hand was the Koucha-Kaden with the seal removed.
He was looking for a hot snack in front of the cash register with the milk tea “Koucha-Kaden” in his hand.
If not mistaken, a photo of him buying the Koucha-Kaden was uploaded in the net, when he came to Japan a few years before!
It seems he loves Koucha-Kaden very much.
It is just another image if it happened to be an ordinary person, but this is the 14th Dalai Lama…  

The convenience store in Japan has lot of products, and the 14th Dalai Lama is undoubtedly the favorite.

It seems 600 people have gathered at the lecture hall held in Koyasan University.

Of course, Koucha-Kaden has gained most in this news!

The Koucha-Kaden with white cap is ice, and orange cap is hot, and hence the 14th Dalai Lama drank the hot milk tea.
Of course, it is also available in can.

I also often drink Koucha-Kaden, and seems that it has lot of tea leaves.
It has the perfect tea taste, and is very delicious.
The purchase should have been made either from the red color Coca-Cola No.1 vending machine or at the convenience store.