Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

The Wheels Magazine Car of the Year award for 2008 has gone to Japanese Car – Honda Accord Euro.

The Honda Accord Euro won this award which is recognized as one of the most prestigious global awards in motoring industry. The Japanese car outclassed an array of 35 other new cars introduced in 2008.  Eight expert judges from Wheels magazine tested 18 new car models over a period of 7 days, covering over 10,000 Kms.  The selection criteria was based on  five key areas; technology, function, environmental safety, value, and efficiency.

Honda Accord Euro is an exceptionally well rounded car where the company has taken painstaking care to build quality and detail. It has an outstanding dynamics, great passenger comfort, and supreme driver satisfaction.

This is the fifth time Honda, has won the Wheels Car of the Year Award – first time it was the original Honda Accord in 1977, which also happened to be the first car from Japan to win this prestigious award.  Other Honda models which have won this award include Honda Odyssey in 1995, the Honda NSX in 1991, and  the Honda Prelude in 1987. Now, after 14 years, the Honda Accord Euro has triumphed, winning the 46th annual award of the world longest continuously running Car of the Year Award.

The award winning Honda Accord Euro is available in three models. We can also supply used car models of equivalent Japanese version of this car.

Technorati Tags: Wheels Magazine, Japanese Car, Honda Accord, Honda, used car, Japanese

We wish all our customers and well-wishers a Very Happy New Year. Hope this new year will bring joy, prosperity and happiness to you.  And please don’t forget to enjoy safe driving.

In Japan, New Year (shogatsu) is an important holiday season. Most businesses are closed in the first week of January.  Japanese people would typically be with their families to welcome the new year together.

January 1 is considered a very auspicious day in Japan.  It is best to start the new year by going to temple or shrine to offer prayers and watching the first sunrise (hatsu-hinode).  People clean their houses, shops and offices before the commencement of the new year. The new year day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger and people prefer not to work on this day. However, many young people take this opportunity of a long holiday to visit nearby countries for vacation.

For those who can not visit Japan to welcome the new year in Japanese style, I am posting here a picture of sunrise at the Itsukushima shrine in Miyajima island, near Hiroshima. It is considered as one of the three most scenic places in Japan.

Technorati Tags: Japan, New Year, Japanese, Miyajima