(LinkAsia: October 19, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Japan and China have a big economic stake in each other. Their trading relationship is worth over $300 billion every year. But now, anti-Japan sentiment in China has driven down the sales of Japanese cars to the point that some Japanese brand names are disappearing from Chinese roads. For more on this story, here's Japanese broadcaster NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: October 16, 2012

Reporter:
Nissan Motors unveiled a new passenger car last month, developed especially for the Chinese market. Nissan is a top seller of Japanese cars in China. The price of the 1600 c.c. Runabout starts from about $11,000 - almost the same as Chinese models. Nissan kept costs down by using more locally-made parts. Nissan executives hoped the new car launch would jump-start sales in the country. But the timing couldn't have been worse. Anti-Japanese sentiment is running high. Company managers say the impact on sales has been larger than expected.

Carlos Ghosn:
This is the kind of crisis we really that we really don't like because it is completely outside the reach of the companies. You know, political situation is very emotional between the two countries, and you're caught in the middle.

Reporter:
Japanese automakers have been forced to keep a lower profile since the Senkaku issue erupted. That means less, sometimes no product promotion. This motor show held in Tianjin last month is a key event on the industry calendar. But Honda, Mitsubishi and Fuji all pulled out at the last moment. The situation is made worse by a spreading consumer boycott targeting Japanese products.

Anonymous:
Because of the Senkaku issue, I'm going to buy a German car.

Anonymous:
Given the political problems I don't think it's a good idea to buy a Japanese car now.

Reporter:
One dealer of European cars is offering what they call "a patriotic service." It's a discount offer. Customers who replace their Japanese vehicles get more than $700 off the sticker price.

Anonymous:
We offer the patriotic service to peoplereplacing Japanese cars, no matter what brand they are.

Reporter:
Declining sales are now affecting output. Toyota and Nissan scaled back local production from September through October. Some plants cut operating days or shortened operating hours. More assembly lines could follow suit. Managers of Japanese automakers say they hope the sale slump is just a 'bump in the road' for their Chinese operations. But that could all depend on an improvement in Japan-China relations and there's no sign of that happening anytime soon. Akirhiro Mikoda, NHK World, Tianjin.

Yul Kwon:
Due to poor sales, Toyota is closing its Tianjin production plant for five days next week. Toyota's sales in China fell by almost 50 percent in September.

(LinkAsia: May 11, 2012)
Sydnie Kohara:
Soon, controlling all home appliances with the ease of one computer screen won't be just for people like Bill Gates. From the folks who brought you the Nintendo Game Boy and the Toyota Prius, some new gadgets now that allow you to control your house remotely and even save electricity while doing it. NHK reports on Japan's latest inventions.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: May 7, 2012

Reporter:
Major house builder Sekisui House is selling this home. It takes advantage of three types of energy--solar, traditional fuel and a battery unit--to keep everything running. In the event of a power outage, power comes from the battery unit. The wired house keeps track of electricity and gas use, reducing utility charges.

Tsutomu Shimizu, Sekisui House:
Last year was year one for the smart house. This year, they will start to take off.

Reporter:
Engineers at Honda began testing last month on a vehicle that uses a battery powered in part by solar panels on the car's exterior. The car is the ultimate remote control. The driver can use it to adjust conditions at home. Commands are transmitted to a small house through the car's satellite navigation system. This makes it easy to run a bath or turn up the heat before they even turn into the driveway. The engineers hope to put their smart car on the market within a couple of years.

Yoshiharu Yamamoto, Honda:
We can provide a better quality of life with a car that uses solar energy and an interactive function for smart houses. This will help us to expand sales.

Reporter:
Electronics appliance maker NEC Corporation started selling an electricity storage system in March. It gathers electricity generated by the sun and power taken from the grid during the night when prices are lower. Manufacturers are betting on smart technology as part of the solution to Japan's energy supply problems.

Sydnie Kohara:
There's another appliance that Japan has perfected, and I'm sure we all wish we had one. A smart toilet. Now we won't talk about all the things it does, but let's just say that according to the manufacturer, Toto, the computerized toilet can cut toilet paper usage by 90 percent.