Japanese Automobiles Research Articles

Schematic Representation of Country Image:

A schema-based knowledge representation framework is developed to examine the effects of country-of-origin on product evaluations. Members of a consumer research panel received information that was either consistent or inconsistent with their expectations concerning American and Japanese automobiles. They also received factual information about South Korean cars. Evaluation (recall) measures were taken immediately after the presentation of information about the automobiles and again, following a three month span of time. The results indicate that consumers possess a country-of-origin schema and that country-of-origin schemas affect consumers' retention of information about automobiles, as well as their judgments. Implications of the findings of marketing communications strategy are discussed.

Techniques to reduce failure in lead-calcium batteries using expanded type grids

Recent developments have improved the following characteristics of lead/acid batteries that employ expanded lead-calcium grids: (i) recovery after overdischarging and long standing; (ii) battery life at high temperature; (iii) battery life under deep-cycling conditions. It is widely known that the addition of tin to PbCaSn alloys is effective in assisting recovery after overdischarging and long standing. It has also been found that the surface-treatment technology developed to make a Pb-Sn alloy thin layer on the expanded PbCaSn wrought alloy grid has improved these characteristics. Since the temperature of engine compartments in Japanese automobiles has risen in recent times, the life of batteries subjected to these temperatures has become increasingly important. Through combination of surface treatment with a thin PbSbSn alloy layer, and increases in the corrosion resistance and mechanical strength of PbCaSn wrought alloys, the life of automotive batteries at high temperatures has been extended remarkably. Such an approach has also improved the life of batteries used in deep-cycling conditions.

A general equilibrium analysis of US foreign trade policy

Part 1 Recent issues in U.S. foreign trade policy: policy issues why a general equilibrium model? previous studies of the cost of protection. Part 2 Trade policy analysis in a one-sector general equilibrium model with product differentiation: product differentiation and specialization a one-sector model with differentiated trade comparative statics - a graphical analysis of terms-of-trade, transfer, and tariff changes a digression - choice of numeraire and the real exhange rate costs of protection in the one-sector model trade policy and resource shifts in the presence of product differentiation. Part 3 The basic general equilibrium trade model: overview of the model equations of the basic trade model modeling of quantitative restrictions welfare measure definition of the welfare measure the real exchange rate. Part 4 Quota premium rates and rent capture: who captures the quota rents? quota rent estimates in textiles and apparel quota rent estimates for automobiles from Japan and Europe voluntary export restraints on steel. Part 5 Welfare costs of U.S. quotas in textiles and apparel, automobiles, and steel in the basic model: elasticity specification removing quotas on textiles and apparel removing voluntary export restraints on Japanese automobiles imposing voluntary export restraints on steel joint removal of quotas in the three sectors introducing terms-of-trade effects comparisons with earlier estimates liberalization with endogenous quota permia and sectoral rationing of steel. Part 6 Welfare costs of quantitative restrictions under different factor market assumptions: labour-leisure choice welfare costs of quotas in steel and automobiles in the presence of wage distortions modeling labour unions in the automobile and steel sectors short-run welfare costs of quotas in textiles and apparel, automobiles and steel welfare costs of quotas with international capital mobility the welfare measure and labour-leisure trade-off derivation of labour union wage differential. Part 7 Welfare costs of quantitative restrictions with imperfect competition in automobiles and steel: evidence on economies of scale and pricing rules in steel and automobiles modifications to the basic model to accommodate imperfect competition welfare costs of quantitative restrictions with imperfect competition derivation of the price elasticity of demand. Part 8 Revenue-raising taxes - evaluation of alternative strategies for taxing petroleum industries: recent proposals for taxing petroleum industries adaptation of the basic model to the energy sector revenue and welfare effects of tax proposals efficient taxation of petroleum industries. Part 9 Conclusions: summary of results costs per job protected by quota protection estimated costs of all quantitative restrictions computation of tariffs with a welfare cost equivalent to that of quotas directions for future research.

戦前の自動車産業と「満州」

The Japanese automobile market in pre-war had been dominated by Japan Ford and Japan GM. So, the aim of automobile industrial policy was to protect the market against foreign companies, to foster domestic manufacturers and finally to control the industry. Specially the army had intended to eliminate the foreign companies after the 1931 Manchurian incident.After the army occupied Manchuria in 1931, heavy-industrialization policy had been executed by Japan there. Aircraft and automobile industries as the war industries had been thought important. Army had intended to protect the automobile market and to foster the automobile industry in Manchuria.The goal of the 1936 Automobile Manufacturing Business Law was to permit the automobile manufacturing business and to eliminate the foreign companies. Furthermore, the law was to protect the automobile market against foreign companies in Manchuria. Substantially it had been prohibited for foreign companies to make inroads into Manchurian market.In fostering the automobile industry in Japan and Manchuria, Manchurian market was very important in these two points : 1. As the market of Japanese automobiles.2. In fostering the auto business in Manchuria.Therefore in order to foster the automobile industry, the operation of foreign companies in Manchuria had never been permitted.

Commentary: Is There Really a Communications Gap Between Statisticians and Engineers?

Oh, come now! Is there really a communications gap between statisticians and engineers and physical scientists in America today? My own experience over 25 years of professional service convinces me beyond a doubt that a significant gap exists. The communication problem most likely crosses all types and layers of American industry. It is a problem that must be faced and dealt with for American industry to meet the challenge of foreign competition over the next decade. We are all very familiar with the perception that Japanese automobiles and electronics are superior to our domestic products in quality and reliability. That perception did not just happen. My experience with engineers in other countries (including Japan) leads me to believe that we are behind our competition in statistical training and application of basic statistical methods. Catching up may be out of the question if we do not have some fundamental changes in our way of thinking.

自動車部品用特殊鋼の課題

The ratio of steels to automotive materials counts larger than 70%, and a fifth of them is specialty steels. The high quality of Japanese automobiles are considered due to excellent steel quality in Japan. Furthermore, new machine structural steels, shown here under, are required as automotive parts.1. High strength gear materials(1) High clean steels, especially with ultra low oxygen(2) High pitting resistance steels2. Low cost materials(1) Microalloyed steels available for induction hardening for steering parts(2) Free cutting steels containing very small amount of free machining elements which is alternative of leaded steel(3) Steels resisting to grain size coarseningTo meet the diversity in automobile technology, further inovation in specialty steel technology is strongly expected. Automotive engineers hope steel makers to develop not only new automotive materials but also the new manufacturing process and to proceed the evaluation using actual parts taking the advantages of specialty steels such as reasonable cost, quality reliability and its easiness in recycling.

Applications of High-Technology Ceramics in Japanese Automobiles

Applications of High-Technology Ceramics in Japanese Automobiles

An Approach to Simultaneous Estimation and Segmentation in Conjoint Analysis

This paper presents a simultaneous approach to estimating partworths and aggregating consumers in conjoint analysis. First, based on a logit choice model, a “ridge”-like procedure for estimating individual partworths is proposed, and using simulation, the reliability of the estimator is examined. A method of aggregating consumers homogeneous in preference is then presented. The effectiveness of the aggregation procedure is tested on the simulated data. Finally, to illustrate how the total procedure can be applied to the real world, a set of preference data for Japanese automobiles is used.

Shorter Papers Automobile Quotas Revisited: The Costs of Continued Protection

This paper examines the loss to the U. S. economy and consumers from the third year of the Voluntary Export Restraint (VER) for Japanese automobiles. Losses due to product differentiation were estimated separately for the domestic car market and Japanese car market. Consideration was given to profit taking as well as product upgrading. The welfare loss ranged from $1.8 billion to $2.8 billion which is higher than loss estimates reported for the first year of the VER. The higher welfare loss reflects the impact of improved economic conditions which resulted in higher prices for manufacturers and dealers and the emergence of product upgrading due to quantity restraints. The total loss to consumers ranged from $2.6 billion to $5.3 billion with more than 80 percent of the loss representing transfers from consumers to producers (domestic and foreign). The high cost of the VER has not been offset by employment gains since Detroit responded to the VER by making fewer cars and increasing its reliance on off ‐ shore production.

The Welfare Loss of the Voluntary Export Restraint For Japanese Automobiles

The welfare loss from the voluntary export restraint (VER) on Japanese automobiles was estimated for the first year of the VER (April 1, 1981 to March 31, 1982). The impact of quantity reductions on the price of Japanese and domestic automobiles was used to estimate the welfare loss. Losses were estimated separately for the domestic small car market and the Japanese market in view of the existence of product differentiation. Welfare losses ranged from $446 million to $1,386 million depending on the price elasticity of demand assumed for Japanese automobiles. The welfare loss for domestic automobiles accounted for only a small proportion of this loss. The VER had a minor impact on the domestic automobile industry where sales remained low due to general economic conditions and limited substitutability between domestic and Japanese cars. However, the limited assistance provided by the VER to the domestic automobile industry entailed considerable costs as demonstrated by the magnitude of the welfare loss. A considerable part of this loss could have been avoided if other forms of trade protection such as tariffs had been used instead of the VER.

Canada's automobile fuel consumption policies and programs

In Canada the transportation sector accounts for a larger share of petroleum product consumption than the residential, commercial and industrial sectors combined. Following the 1973 oil embargo, energy conservation policy naturally focussed on the transport sector, and on light duty automobiles and trucks in particular. In the early 1970s Canadian automobiles consumed on the average about twice as much fuel per kilometre as European or Japanese automobiles. By 1982 the efficiency of new automobiles sold in Canada had increased markedly, and the prospects of further improvements appear good. This paper describes government policy and programs which have been introduced since 1975 to encourage steady improvement in efficiency of the Canadian vehicle fleet.

America's Declining Industrial Competitiveness: Protectionism, the Marketplace and the State

A rising protectionist tide is threatening to undermine the domestic political foundation necessary to sustain America's liberal trade posture through the 1980s. U.S. trade officials and recent administrations remain committed to a liberal trade order, but severe crises in key economic sectors of the economy, regionally concentrated in the traditional industrial region of the country, are cutting the ground from beneath them internationally and domestically.At the recent GATT ministerial meeting in Geneva, for example, the United States pressed hard for expanding international trade liberalization in agriculture, services, and high technology industries—all areas of economic activity in which the United States enjoys a strong competitiye position and trade surpluses. American trade officials in Geneva had the burden of advancing their arguments for further trade liberalization against the backdrop of recent U.S. actions, taken in response to domestic pressures, which imposed import quotas on European steel and Japanese automobiles and which adopted a more restrictive trade regime for textiles and apparel in the renewal of the Multi-Fiber Agreement. While the GATT meeting was in progress, the U.S. Congress was considering a domestic content bill that would require auto-makers selling over 900,000 vehicles in the American market to use 90 percent U.S. labor and parts by 1985. U.S. trade representative William Brock III called this “the worst piece of economic legislation since the 1930s.” The House passed the bill with 215 votes, but it died in the Senate. The bill will certainly be re-introduced in the more protectionist 98th Congress.

America's Declining Industrial Competitiveness: Protectionism, the Marketplace and the State

A rising protectionist tide is threatening to undermine the domestic political foundation necessary to sustain America's liberal trade posture through the 1980s. U.S. trade officials and recent administrations remain committed to a liberal trade order, but severe crises in key economic sectors of the economy, regionally concentrated in the traditional industrial region of the country, are cutting the ground from beneath them internationally and domestically.At the recent GATT ministerial meeting in Geneva, for example, the United States pressed hard for expanding international trade liberalization in agriculture, services, and high technology industries—all areas of economic activity in which the United States enjoys a strong competitiye position and trade surpluses. American trade officials in Geneva had the burden of advancing their arguments for further trade liberalization against the backdrop of recent U.S. actions, taken in response to domestic pressures, which imposed import quotas on European steel and Japanese automobiles and which adopted a more restrictive trade regime for textiles and apparel in the renewal of the Multi-Fiber Agreement. While the GATT meeting was in progress, the U.S. Congress was considering a domestic content bill that would require auto-makers selling over 900,000 vehicles in the American market to use 90 percent U.S. labor and parts by 1985. U.S. trade representative William Brock III called this “the worst piece of economic legislation since the 1930s.” The House passed the bill with 215 votes, but it died in the Senate. The bill will certainly be re-introduced in the more protectionist 98th Congress.

America's Declining Industrial Competitiveness: Protectionism, the Marketplace and the State

A rising protectionist tide is threatening to undermine the domestic political foundation necessary to sustain America's liberal trade posture through the 1980s. U.S. trade officials and recent administrations remain committed to a liberal trade order, but severe crises in key economic sectors of the economy, regionally concentrated in the traditional industrial region of the country, are cutting the ground from beneath them internationally and domestically.At the recent GATT ministerial meeting in Geneva, for example, the United States pressed hard for expanding international trade liberalization in agriculture, services, and high technology industries—all areas of economic activity in which the United States enjoys a strong competitiye position and trade surpluses. American trade officials in Geneva had the burden of advancing their arguments for further trade liberalization against the backdrop of recent U.S. actions, taken in response to domestic pressures, which imposed import quotas on European steel and Japanese automobiles and which adopted a more restrictive trade regime for textiles and apparel in the renewal of the Multi-Fiber Agreement. While the GATT meeting was in progress, the U.S. Congress was considering a domestic content bill that would require auto-makers selling over 900,000 vehicles in the American market to use 90 percent U.S. labor and parts by 1985. U.S. trade representative William Brock III called this “the worst piece of economic legislation since the 1930s.” The House passed the bill with 215 votes, but it died in the Senate. The bill will certainly be re-introduced in the more protectionist 98th Congress.

Road Antiknock Qualities of Gasolines by Japanese Automobiles

The increase of compression ratio of autmobiles has caused the octane problems of gasolines to become a very important problem in Japan as well as in other countries. This paper tries to present the data regarding octane problems in Japan, such as octane number requirements of Japanese automobiles, the road octane number characteristics of commercial gasolines and the relation between road and laboratory octane numbers.

II.国産自動車(交通機関の展望)

II.国産自動車(交通機関の展望)