High cost hampers Japan's lofty 'hydrogen society' vision

Tokyo

JAPAN has lofty ambitions to become a "hydrogen society" where homes and fuel-cell cars are powered by the emissions-free energy source, but observers say price and convenience are keeping the plan from taking off.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has dubbed hydrogen the "energy of the future", and hopes it will help Tokyo meet the modest emissions targets it has set ahead of a United Nations climate change conference next month.

Tokyo wants to see cars, buses and buildings powered by the clean energy in the coming years, and has even laid out plans for a "hydrogen highway" pep…