So the big news from America is how high gas prices have soared. Currently the average US gas price is $2.89 (stat from
GasBuddy.com). That is pretty darn high and I'm glad that I don't own a car in America right now. This topic inspired me to look into Japan's gas prices. The blurry (camera phone, wind, and sitting on my bike with a shaky hand) picture is yen per liter. So let us calculate and compare the national US price to the lowest gas price for Iwade. Today's exchange rate shows that 108 yen is equal to $.921. It takes 3.7854118 liters to make one US gallon. Multiply .92 times 3.7854118.........and you get roughly $3.49 a gallon. This MSN
article shows it's own research into global gas prices and lists Japan's price being much higher than my figure, $4.50. That figure probably reflects the national average (Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo, etc).
Now my point......it really is crummy that gas prices have soared in the US. The MSN article states that the wholesale price for gasoline is about the same internationally. Unfortunately Japanese pay a lot higher tax on the gas. However, I must admit that Japan took the gas dependent problem into consideration years ago. They created the hybrid (check out this CNN
article about small fuel efficient Japanese cars; they are actually even smaller here in Japan than the photos represent). Japanese are also dependent upon affordable mass transportation and everyone bicycles. We even "carpool" sometimes; refer to photo. That's how the Japanese have battled the petrol problem. It makes me wonder how high do gas prices need to reach for the US to make some changes to their oil dependent habits?
So the big news from America is how high gas prices have soared. Currently the average US gas price is $2.89 (stat from GasBuddy.com). That is pretty darn high and I'm glad that I don't own a car in America right now. This topic inspired me to look into Japan's gas prices. The blurry (camera phone, wind, and sitting on my bike with a shaky hand) picture is yen per liter. So let us calculate and compare the national US price to the lowest gas price for Iwade. Today's exchange rate shows that 108 yen is equal to $.921. It takes 3.7854118 liters to make one US gallon. Multiply .92 times 3.7854118.........and you get roughly $3.49 a gallon. This MSN article shows it's own research into global gas prices and lists Japan's price being much higher than my figure, $4.50. That figure probably reflects the national average (Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo, etc).
Now my point......it really is crummy that gas prices have soared in the US. The MSN article states that the wholesale price for gasoline is about the same internationally. Unfortunately Japanese pay a lot higher tax on the gas. However, I must admit that Japan took the gas dependent problem into consideration years ago. They created the hybrid (check out this CNN article about small fuel efficient Japanese cars; they are actually even smaller here in Japan than the photos represent). Japanese are also dependent upon affordable mass transportation and everyone bicycles. We even "carpool" sometimes; refer to photo. That's how the Japanese have battled the petrol problem. It makes me wonder how high do gas prices need to reach for the US to make some changes to their oil dependent habits?
I totally agree with you! It's infuriating! :(
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx
And people make fun of my camry... Unfortunately, big oil can afford to put big idiots in office who don't do a damn thing about easing crude oil dependence... All this comes back to one irrefutable fact that BUSH IS A DUMBASS!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't posted in a while, I've just been lurking but now I have to say something. I agree with you Mercedes, the issue is getting ridiculous here in the US.
ReplyDeleteKanj, you're saying that we should lay blame for this entire problem squarely at the feet of the President? We should ignore the fact that in the last thirty years, LONG before Bush took office, the oil companies have been allowed to cement their positions in the US market and narrow the competitive field from a high of approx. 18 companies in the 1970's to now four? This has NOTHING to do with our current situation at all I'm sure, it's all Bush's fault.
Our current situation again has nothing to do with the fact that China has quadrupled their petroleum usage in the past ten years thereby creating a very different worldwide dynamic with regard to supply and demand, it's just Bush's fault.
I say this not as a Bush fan, but as a person who dislikes people blindly assigning blame to a problem that has been brewing for many years and is much bigger than this one person who happened to be in office when the stuff hits the fan.
Right now it's very popular to hate Bush and blame him for all the problems in the world, I understand that, but maybe we should take all the facts into consideration and really look at the factors involved in a situation before we just jump on the Bush hating bandwagon. Ya thnk?
Wow... who pissed in your cheerios? I won't use Mercedes' blog as a political debate. Because your right, Bush is a very smart man, does good things for the world, and is very articulate...
ReplyDeleteSorry 'bout all this, Mercedes. You just have fun out there in Nipon. Sakura season is definitely one of my favorites!
Hey Irishman, check out this site and look at why gas is so high in some places. You know the middleman is making lots of money too. I personally, hold the government partially to blame. And then to deny global warming and not to encourage environmental issues??
ReplyDeleteRemember, he's the decider
http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/
lists/global_gasprices/
Kanj,
ReplyDeleteNo-one pissed in my cheerios and I apologize if it came off like I was attacking you, I just got done with listening to several different groups all blindly laying blame on Bush and the government for issues that have been in the works long before he took office and it frustrated me... again, sorry.
Margie - I don't disagree with you in that Bush and his group IS partially to blame for many things and you are correct, he does have the ultimate say on many things.. but I was speaking to this particular issue to which I think it is misguided to use the blanket statement that it's Bush's fault. There are many factors here, some that stated before and others, like why are the big oil companies still allowed huge tax breaks? Do they really need them while they're posting "record profit" quarters back to back?
I've read article and I've lived overseas for many years in the past so I know even now, we still have it good when it comes to gas prices.
As to the environmental and global warming issues... that's for another time.
Mahalo and I'm sorry Mercedes that this kinda hijacked your blog, you know that wasn't my intention. Hope you and Rich are doing well... by the way, have you two had a chance to check out the smell-o-vision movies in Osaka? I am VERY intrigued by that. :o)
Kanji, you will enjoy this
ReplyDeletehttp://decider.cf.huffingtonpost.com/
yeah, not even gonna get in on this one, except to ask: Smell-o-vision? I am intrigued...
ReplyDelete