Young Version — April 1998
An archive project by Flock MFGNew issue alerts →
About this issue
238 available scans from Young Version — April 1998, in right-to-left reading order. Japanese OCR and English translation drafts are available throughout. Drafts have not received exhaustive image proofreading; unreadable source remains recorded in the archival data. Capture img018 is absent from the supplied folder; the exact missing printed pages have not been established.
Page 75 — English draft translation
License plates carry more meaning and lucky-number traditions than you might expect! While we're reviewing the new preferred-number system, let's take another look at plates. Their colors and numbers all mean something. One surprise is how many numbers are avoided for good luck: some hiragana are not used, and certain final two-digit combinations are omitted. For example, 42 and 49 are avoided because they have an unlucky image. But some people may still want those numbers, so places that offer the preferred-number system…
Once a number has been requested, the choice is yours. Numbers not included in the lottery—such as …4 or 6666—can be requested through the regular process, on a first-come basis. That could be a good opportunity. As this page shows, plates originally had practical rules, but now you can get numbers you like and use them as a new kind of car customization. A plate is one of the most visible parts of a car. Your chance comes when you buy a car or change its registration; you cannot change it whenever you like. If you really want a certain number, moving is the last resort—but it might be worth it!
Captions and page details
Let's have fun with the numbers everyone has on their cars!
Q
It probably doesn't happen often, but what if your plate bends or breaks? A front plate held by only two bolts could even be stolen. You've heard of stolen plates being used in crimes, right? If your license plate…
Q
Already…
7
Nagoya
No way! A three-digit number…
9
Garbled fragment.
What happens if your license plate bends?
Garbled fragment.
Isolated damaged text.
Is it true the classification number will become three digits?
…that's right!
…want to…
OCR fragment resembling Roman letters and kana.
OCR fragment resembling Roman letters and kana.
00
The two-digit number at the top of a license plate will become three digits…
Demand for three-digit numbers is expected to grow. Some areas are reaching the limit of what two digits can serve. In fact…
If your plate becomes unusable, you might worry. You cannot drive on public roads without one, but…
Garbled fragment.
…also report it…
They can issue a replacement for you!
Garbled label.
…then 54, then 77, then 78 and 79…
…70… and now it has reached 75. This is becoming a problem…
That's why three-digit numbers are being introduced. They are not in use yet, but if demand grows, plates such as 500 or 530 will become available.
Could it be…?
If the classification becomes three digits, you can request a number starting with 530…
If you obtain a number in the 530 series, lottery numbers will range from 500–598 and 700–798, all of which will be used.
Top five by registered vehicles: 1. Nagoya 2. Kobe 3. Yokohama 4. Osaka 5. Gunma. Fewest: 1. Tobu 2. Shonai 3. Sasebo 4. Kitami 5. Kushiro.
Which area has the most and fewest registered cars?
(1,964,684) (1,785,822) (1,727,638) (1,602,532) (1,560,351)
Of course Nagoya is the most common. As you read above…
(125,461) (221,411) (253,765) (253,193) (264,847)
By contrast, Tobu has the fewest vehicles. It is a relatively new registration area…
…there are places saying two digits are no longer enough.
…these are newly assigned plate areas, so naturally fewer cars have registered there so far. That means a Tobu plate would stand out on its own. People in Tobu, I'm a little jealous!
Rumor has it that Tama plates in Tokyo also have a fairly high number of registrations…
The number of vehicles is growing, and there is even a possibility that the area could be split in two. Machida is reportedly one candidate…
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Features
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…is it?
Max
Max
Gasoline additive
Gasoline additive
Increased torque across the speed range
Features
2
Better acceleration from a stop
2. Improved throttle response
3. Higher octane
Higher octane
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…there is.
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Joyo
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