Kimiyuki Suda should be a perfect customer for Japan’s car-makers.He’s young,successful executive at an Internet-services company in Tokyo and has plenty of disposable __1__.He used to own Toyota’s Hilux Surf,a sport utility vehicle.But now he uses __2__ subways and trains.“It’s not inconvenient at all,” he says.__3__,“having a car is so 20th century.”
Suda reflects a worrisome __4__ in Japan; the automobile is losing its emotional appeal,__5__ among the young,who prefer to spend their money on the latest electronic devices.__6__ mini-cars and luxury foreign brands are still popular,everything in between is __7__.Last year sales fell 6.7 percent,7.6 percent __8__ you don’t count the mini-car market.There have been __9__ one-year drops in other nations:sales in Germany fell 9 percent in 2007 __10__ a tax increase.But experts say Japan is __11__ in that sales have been decreasing steadily __12__ time.Since 1990,yearly new-car sales have fallen from 7.8 million to 5.4 million units in 2007.