Japan Mobility Show / Green Transformation's challenge

Welcome! I'm Hiroyasu Ichikawa, ichi, and this is issue?77?of "Japan Climate Curation" newsletter??, which curates Japan-related climate news content every week since spring 2022, with over 1,800 subscribers. You can subscribe by clicking on the?Linkedin page or the substack link.

Ten news articles were curated this week, covering Japan Mobility Show, the Green Transformation challenge, and more.

I hope you find the articles below beneficial for reading (or skimming)!

*Consulting Service is available for your Japan-related climate or net-zero business. The first 30 minutes of Zoom chat is free, and I could work at an hourly rate starting at $100. Please fill out your request using?this link. Thank you!

[????????Japan Climate News Headlines]

【1】Japan’s Carmakers Take Stage to Show Their EV Ambitions Are Real [10/23Bloomberg] Toyota, other manufacturers will put concept cars on display / China’s BYD among few foreign brands as motor shows scale back

• At the Japan Mobility Show, domestic carmakers like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are poised to demonstrate their commitment to electric vehicles (EVs) and carbon neutrality.
• This revamped event, formerly the Tokyo Motor Show, aims to attract a million visitors. Historically, Japanese automakers have been slow to phase out gasoline cars, with only 1.5% of new-car sales in 2022 being battery-electric.
• Despite Japan's early innovations in gas-electric hybrids, they've been cautious about the global EV transition. Although foreign EV brands have entered the Japanese market, their growth potential remains limited.

*Japan auto show returns, as industry faces EV turning point [10/23 Reuters]

• Tokyo's iconic auto show, now focused on the electric vehicle (EV) era, is back after four years. As Toyota, the world's leading automaker, pivots towards battery EVs, smaller brands like Subaru and Mazda grapple with the transition. Meanwhile, China's BYD makes a significant debut, underscoring a widening industry gap.

【2】The Top-Selling EV in Japan Isn’t a Tesla, But a $13,000 Kei Car [10/24 Bloomberg Green]

• Nissan’s Sakura, a joint venture with Mitsubishi and dubbed the eK X, is the best-selling EV in Japan. Positioned as a kei car – a small-sized, economical vehicle ideal for Japan's tight roads – it represents the adaptation of EVs to different markets. However, EVs remain a minor segment in Japan's auto landscape.

【3】Toyota nears mass production of solid-state batteries [10/23 Financial Times]

• Toyota is on the verge of a breakthrough in the EV industry with its progress towards mass-producing solid-state batteries by 2027 or 2028.
• These batteries could double the range of their EVs to 1,200km and reduce charging time to 10 minutes.
• Despite the significant benefits, the challenges of production, including cost and precise assembly, persist. Collaborations, like the recent one with Idemitsu Kosan, signal efforts to overcome such obstacles.

【4】Japan sticks with climate solution that critics say is far from clean [10/22The Japan Times]

• Japan continues to champion ammonia as a climate solution, with major industries aiming to use it to curb emissions from coal plants. However, critics argue that ammonia may not significantly reduce overall CO2 emissions and the production chain can negatively impact health and the environment.

【5】Japan, Denmark to cooperate on floating wind turbine technology [10/24 Nikkei Asia]

• Japan teams up with Denmark to pioneer mass production of floating offshore wind turbines. Merging Denmark's wind power expertise with Japan's shipbuilding prowess, they aim for global industry standards. This aligns with Japan's goal of achieving up to 45,000 MW from offshore wind power by 2040.

【6】Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical to slash solar panel recycling costs 20% [10/20 Nikkei Asia]

• Mitsubishi Chemical Group has innovated a high-heat recycling method, diminishing solar panel recycling costs by 20% to 30%. The technique transforms sealants into gas, simplifying the recovery of usable materials. As Japan witnesses increased solar panel waste, this development aids sustainability. By 2025, subsidiary Shinryo will employ the tech at new centers, boosting recycling capabilities.

*Japan's JGC to bring bendable solar cells to building walls [10/22 Nikkei Asia]

• Japanese company JGC Holdings is set to bring bendable perovskite solar cells to market by 2026. Developed by EneCoat Technologies, these cells are lightweight and suited for curved surfaces. JGC sees a future in renting installation spaces and generating power, targeting significant sales by 2030.

【7】Lithium wars:The global struggle for'white diamonds' - 3. Japan moves late while the EU leads in recycling [10/22 Nikkei Asia]

• Lithium demand surged threefold from 2017 to 2022. As resource-rich nations, like Mexico and Chile, move to regulate or nationalize lithium exports, there are talks of a potential lithium cartel. Meanwhile, Japan lags in securing these crucial resources, risking the future of its auto industry.

【8】Climate change: Japan's farmers confront a warmer future [10/17NHK World-Japan]

• Record high growing season temperatures are damaging food crops in Japan and prompting a turn to agricultural science for solutions.

【9】IMF projects Japan's GDP to fall to world's 4th in 2023 after Germany [10/24 Kyodo News]

• The IMF predicts Japan's GDP to drop to the world's 4th spot in 2023, overtaken by Germany, due to yen's depreciation and higher German inflation. By 2026, India's booming population and economy could further push Japan to fifth place. In 2023, Japan's GDP might be $4.23T vs Germany's $4.43T.

【10】Green transformation in Japan and future policies against climate change in the energy sector [10/17 SOAS - University of London]

This is a recorded video archive of a recent seminar by Mr. Naomi Hirose. He is the former president / CEO of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) . He left TEPCO in 2021, and currently serves as Chair of Japan Energy Association.

In the 12 and a half years since the Fukushima nuclear accident only 11 of the 54 reactors initially shut down have restarted operations. Japan's current energy self-sufficiency rate is only around 10%, and reducing CO2 emissions is not an easy proposition.
The invasion of Ukraine has further destabilized the security of electric supply and price. How should Japan tackle the energy trilemma (security, affordability, sustainability) amidst such challenging circumstances?        

??That's all for this week! Thank you for reading(or skimming) ??. I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead!

*Consulting Service is available for your Japan-related climate or net-zero business. The first 30 minutes of Zoom chat is free, and I could work at an hourly rate starting at $100. Please fill out your request using?this link. Thank you!

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ichi (Hiroyasu Ichikawa)