92 percent of people consider newspapers to be a ”necessary” or “somewhat necessary” source of information and knowledge, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

87 percent of respondents said they “greatly trusted” or “moderately trusted” reports carried by newspapers, the survey said.

Although more people are turning to the Internet for news and information, the vast majority of respondents highly appreciated the role that newspapers have played in providing information, the survey found.

The Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed 3,000 people across Japan.

According to the survey, 73 percent of respondents felt that newspapers pay proper attention to protecting human rights and people’s privacy.

When asked about the educational value of newspapers in schools, 63 percent of respondents said children would become interested in affairs in society, 51 percent said students would become familiar with printed stories, and 45 percent said children would develop the habit of reading and watching news.

A planned bullet train service will directly link Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima stations in about four hours – one hour faster than the service using existing lines – with no transfers, according to recent media reports in Japan.

According to media reports, Kyushu Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. have agreed to start a Shinkansen service joining the Kyushu Shinkansen line, which will begin full operations in spring 2011, and the Sanyo Shinkansen line.

JR Kyushu and JR West plan to develop new trains that are compatible with both Shinkansen lines’ operation systems, based on the N700 Series used for Nozomi services.

Flying between Osaka and Kagoshima or Kumamoto airports takes about 70 minutes. The railway operators, therefore, expect the new direct service using Shinkansen lines, with which passengers will not have to transfer at Hakata Station, will have an advantage over airline services.

This is not aci-fi dream anymore!

Nissan introduced at Tokyo Motor Show 2007 its new perspective on the future: a car whose driver won’t ever be alone.

Nissan has probable inspired its new car from an old sci-fi movie or book, where the driver was really helped by a talkative or moody robot. But enough with all these scenarios! The robot has Just been invented, and not only imagined, as it has even got a name: Pivo-kun.

Nissan Motor has mounted Pivo-kun in the dashboard of the company’s Pivo 2 concept car; it will have a highly important safety role, as it will use camera for example to determine whether the driver is under stress or just tired.

In this case, Pivo-kun will suggest him or her to take a rest. “We have data that happy drivers’ accident rates are drastically lower than depressed ones, so this robot stays there to make sure the driver is happy always,” says Nissan Motor’s chief designer Masato Inoue.

“This guides the driver and sometimes cheers up the driver. For example, if the driver is irritated it the driver is irritated it might say ‘Hey, you look somehow angry. Why? Please calm down.’

Masato Inoue says that Pivo-kun won’t be an item of fine technique and that there is a conscious voice behind this robot. This way, the chance that Pivo-kun could get hurt by the drivers themselves is decreasing. “This makes a kind of intimate relationship between the car itself and the driver.” Masato Inoue added.

Nissan also launched GT-R, a new multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of “an ultimate super car for anyone, anywhere, at anytime”.

The Nissan GT-R features a newly developed Premium Mid ship package, including the world’s first independent transaxle 4WD developed independently by Nissan.

Nissan GT-R offers advanced high performance for secure and enjoyable driving by minimizing the effects of climatic, road condition or driving technique limitations.

Honda is showing this year a concept car which has no edges but soft body you can touch at Tokyo Auto Show 2007.

It’s called the PUYO, a Japanese word which expresses the sensation of touching the vehicle’s soft body.

The PUYO is meant to convey a warm, friendly impression and bring together ‘clean’, ‘safe’ and ‘fun’ functionality in an environmentally responsible, people-friendly minimalist design featuring an ultra-high efficiency, small frame and fuel call technology.

The development theme for the PUYO exterior was to create a corner less, ‘Seamless Soft Box’ from that is kind to both people and the environment.

The goal was to create a personable design with the feel a of an adorable pet, while taking advantage of the maximum spaciousness of the box-shaped design.

The PUYO has ‘gel body’ features soft materials to promote greater real-world safety.

Moreover, the body has been made luminescent to guide people into the proper operating position and notify them of the vehicle’s condition, facilitating a more intimate relationship between people and their cars.

Developed to have a ’Silky Feel’, the PUYO’s interior is designed to provide a refreshing, people-friendly space imbued with a feeling of transparency.

Features such as an instrument panel monitor, controls that take advantage of the elastic qualities of cloth to rise up when the vehicle starts up, luminous fluid meter displays, and a joystick for

intuitive operation are all designed to gently support occupants’ senses and sensibilities. What remains to be seen is whether Honda would actually produce this car or just getting attention to market other vehicles.

Toyota Motor Corporation exhibited eight concept and 13 other vehicles at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show under the theme: “Harmonious Drive-a New Tomorrow for People and the Planet”.

In Keeping with its tradition of highlighting new, automotive possibilities at the Tokyo Motor Show in the from of a wide variety of concept vehicles and groundbreaking technologies, Toyota’s exhibit is meant to provide new proposals for the automobile.

Planned highlights in clued a vehicle that completely redefines what it means to be environmentally considerate and one that rewrites the rules of auto design with a proposal for ultra-efficient the exhibit, Toyota aims to showcase its pursuit of the essential emotional appeal of cars-being fun to drive and a pleasure to use –and to indicate its approach toward making sustainable mobility a reality so that people can coexist in harmony with the environment.

Toyota concept vehicles at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show: 1. 1/X – a re-definition of “environmentally considerate” 2. RiN – a new focus on promoting well-being 3. i-Real –a new personal mobility vehicle 4. iQ Concept – ultra-efficient packaging like no other 5. Hi-CT: High ride City Truck-an edgy, urban vehicle 6. FT-MV: Future Toyota – Mini Van – a first-class, new-generation mini-van 7. Crown Hybrid Concept – a hybrid luxury sedan 8. FT-HS: Future Toyota Hybrid Sports – a next generation future sports car