I explained the reality that in Japan, it’s not that young people are turning away from cars, but that they simply can’t afford to buy one.
Because of policies that impose even heavier taxes on older cars and encourage people to buy new ones, old cars are rare in Japan.
I was very surprised when I first visited Southeast Asia.
I saw cars from the Showa era, which are completely unseen in Japan, on the roads.
Not only cars, but buses and trucks also have plates with old Japanese destinations still on the road.
Other countries don’t have the mandatory biannual vehicle inspection system we have in Japan, so even the oldest cars are still in use.
As a car enthusiast, I’m very interested in the car situation in Southeast Asia.
You can see the true face of a country through its cars, too.
In Japan, there is almost no attitude of cherishing old things, so I think governments should learn from this overseas approach.
I always feel that the good old days of Japan that I’ve seen in movies remain intact in Southeast Asia.
I think this attitude is shared not only towards cars, but also towards people.
As I wrote before, what kind of society is it where even people approaching 80 years old have to work to survive?
Does your country have many people approaching 80 years old who are still working, like Japan?
