Let's Japan.org

Sort of. They are testing what happens when you put biofuel in one engine:

Triple-digit oil prices are doing their damage across the world. With airlines strugglin to survive, the Business Travel Coalition issued a stark press release warning of bankruptcies by the end of the year.

High oil prices are a serious problem when it comes to food. Peak oil is peak food.

One of the nice things about living and working in Japan is that it's a convenient base for traveling to other parts of Asia. However, with oil hitting $135 a barrel last week, the days of cheap and easy travel look to be at an end.

In the wake of the earthquake in Niigata, Japan's nuclear power program is once again in the spotlight for its failures. After initial reports of a fire and a small leak at the Kashiwazaki power plant, we find out later that things were actually worse: Tokyo Electric (TEPCO) had the facts but waited 12 hours before letting the public know, the fire burned for several hours, radioactive waste spilled from collection pools, and some radiation was released into the ocean and into the atmosphere. Oh, and the reactor appears to have been built on a fault line. But we're told not to worry.

More evidence of the biofuel craze affecting the food supply:

TOKYO, May 14 (Reuters) - Japanese food and service prices are creeping up, a possible sign that companies are finally starting to pass on higher raw material costs to customers despite overall tame consumer inflation, analysts say.

Yet again, another example of the food for fuel problem. Mayonnaise maker Kewpie announced yesterday [in Japanese] that the price of mayonnaise will increase by 10% as of June. As you know, mayonnaise is its own food group in Japan, so this is serious news. The reports on TV made a point of noting how the price of mayonnaise hasn't changed in 17 years.

As I mentioned previously, the media has reported with great fanfare the introduction of bioethanol to Japan. Hooray for technology!

I know I've been harping on energy and cars lately, but this kind of "reporting" on TV [link to video and transcript in Japanese] has me scratching my head. This is a prime example of news dressed up as an advertisement or PR. The clip is about biofuels (bioethanol from sugar cane and other plants) becoming available to consumers in Yokohama and how it will help combat global warming. The biofuel goes on sale tomorrow at 50 gas stations with the goal of supplying biofuels nationwide by 2010.

The Yomiuri had an article on geothermal power titled Benefits of geothermal power eyed. Given that Japan is completely dependent on foreign oil and that global warming is a serious problem, it's only natural that alternative energies be sought out. But looking at the headline, “Benefits of geothermal power eyed,” you'd wonder what those benefits are. Here they are: