Japan's electrical problem: out of phase
Interesting article from Wired:
How a Legacy From the 1800s is Making Tokyo Dark Today
snipit:
"The discrepancy has to do with the founding of electric power in the country. Tokyo Electric Light Co. used German generators, which operated at 50 Hz, while in the west part of Japan, Osaka Electric Lamp Co. used generators from General Electric, an American company, operating at the same 60 Hz standard that is used in the United States to this day."