June 4 NY Times article which includes hybrids as part of Japan's plan to address increasing energy costs.
Snip from article:

"Even though Japan is already among the most frugal countries in the world, the government recently introduced a national campaign, urging the Japanese to replace their older appliances and buy hybrid vehicles, all part of a patriotic effort to save energy and fight global warming. And big companies are jumping on the bandwagon, counting on the moves to increase sales of their latest models."

Link to article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/04/bu...rtner=homepage