RRJ#5

Reference:

Taschler, Joe. (2011, April 20). Gas prices, parts shortage fuel rush for smaller, more efficient cars. Journal Sentinel. Retrieved on April 21, 2011, from

http://www.jsonline.com/business/120327069.html

Summary:

In this article, the author said that demand in the U.S automobile market has shifted because of the high gas price. It means people are going to purchase the hybrid or small car. In addition, Japanese car makers have reduced their production by 50% due to the earthquake on March 11 in not only Japan but also the U.S. For customers, it will be more difficult to find a car that fits their demand, even if it is a used car,

Reaction:

              My image of American car industry was very unique. It was that everyone has a car that has a big engine such as a pick-up truck, but today, I know that demand for the U.S. market is changing to the small cars like Europe and Japan. I think this situation will help Japanese industry recover because fuel-efficient models are specialties of Japan. Considering protecting the environment, this trend is good, but high gas price also occurs in Japan. It is a personally undesirable situation because I have to spend much money to live. I already have a fuel-efficient vehicle in Japan. I hope the gas price will go down.

RRJ#4

Reference:

Santosa, Novan Iman. (2011, April 05). Rolls-Royce looks for strong performance in Indonesia. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved on April 08, 2011, from,

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/05/rolls-royce-looks-strong-performance-indonesia.html

Summary:

In this article, the author said that Rolls-Royce, which is a luxury carmaker in the U.K, is expanding its sales in Indonesia. Rolls-Royce sold 2,711 cars in 2010, and it aims to grow 30 to 50 percent in 2011, compared with in 2010. Also, its main market is the Asia-Pacific region, and it is going to provide a new electric car there.

Reaction:

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is amazingly developing. I have been to Jakarta three times, twice on business trips, and once on vacation. I can see a lot of motorcycles (most people use motorcycles as a tool for transportation) and cars that are running through the high buildings, and many traffic jams occur very often. I mean the traffic in Jakarta has been already saturated. Although Jakarta is in such a situation, many automakers are looking for their markets and increasing their production in Indonesia because the automobile market is also still developing. Most vehicles we often see are very old models, so if people earn much money, they will purchase a new car instead of a motorcycle. Expanding the market of luxury cars is a sign of developing the economy. My company also built a new factory there this year, and we started to do business not to miss this big chance. Finally, I am very interested in this country, and I like it. I will keep my eyes on Indonesia.

RRJ#1

Reference:

Kitamura, M. and Hagiwara, Y. (2011, March 24). Toyota to Resume Japan Hybrid Output; Honda Extends Closures. Bloomberg Businessweek, http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-23/nissan-ceo-says-supply-shortage-serious-as-toyota-delays-model.html

Summary:

In this article, the author said automobile industry in Japan had great damage due to the earthquake and tsunami on March 11.Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Co. are forced to stop their production, because they can’t purchase enough parts such as electric, rubber, and plastic to assemble the car. This shortage of these components affects not only automaker in Japan, but also in U.S.

Reaction:

I also work in the automobile industry, so I’m interested in this article very much. My company whose name is Koito Manufacturing CO.,LTD. has some parts suppliers in the Northeast part of Japan. They are affected by earthquake and tsunami on March 11 directly. Even today, they can’t make their production. It means that my company is also forced to stop almost assembly lines as our customer, Toyota and other automakers, stops their plants. I know that one of my colleagues who is a factory worker in the plastic part production department has stayed at home for two weeks. He is waiting for a calling that notifies to restart his job. I think it’s so serious problem for me. I’m really worried about my job and salary. I hope Japan will recover soon, and automobile industry will regain the powerful productivity.