Mr. K. Uchiyama was the first man to build the very first Japanese automobile as early as 1902 with a gasoline engine broad back from the United States and had completed his first japan-built car in 1907. The Japan auto industry then started production after the first World War with the guidance of their then government & the Imperial Army to build military vehicles through a number of corporations. Years later saw the revelation of new Japan auto companies such as Hino, Suzuki, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan(formerly known as Datsun) & Honda.
It took Japan’s auto industry only 8 decades to become the highest manufacturer & seller of automobiles globally, outselling the United States even if it was for a short moment producing over 13 millions vehicles per year. Hatsudoki Seizo Co., Ltd & Kaishinsha Motorcar Works were two of the very first companies to produce cars in Japan. Then came along the popular companies we all know today like Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Suzuki,Subaru, Daihatsu & Honda. The companies built their cars with a unique & reliable standard that consumers around the world grew to enjoy & afford.
Some of the most legendary vehicles the world at large grew to adore & aspire after were the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Honda/Acura NSX 1st Gen., Mk IV Toyota Supra & the original Mazda Miata. Even though German, Italian & American cars were among the top list of cars to own, the JDMs continued to top the ranks as motorists enjoyed the reliability and thrill they got out of them.
Fast forward to this modern day, Honda is now by far the best-selling automotive company from Japan followed by Suzuki & Daihatsu. In the USA the 8th Gen. Toyota Supra A80 & 7th Gen. Honda Civic Type R, 5th Gen. Honda/Acura Integra Type R DC2, 3rd Gen. Honda S2k and Nissan 2nd Gen. R34 Skyline GT-R are some of the best ever-built Japanese cars. Sales have risen for SUVs & cars for the Toyota RAV4, Toyota Camry, Honda CR-V, Civic & Accord. This proves that Japanese car brands are still in demand even though the world is changing to electric vehicles to reduce the use of combustible engines that contribute to polluting the atmosphere resulting in harsh weather conditions and climate change.
Japan branded vehicles also fare very well amongst their global competitors. Forbes Wheels consumers reports states that Japanese Cars Brands still sits at the 2021 top 10 list. As the Hiroshima founded company, Mazda, tops the list the Munich founded company BMW is right on it’s heels. Also in the top ten ranks are the legendary Ferdinand Porsche’s fleet along with Mr. Walter Chrysler’s US-built new fleet. To be placed at the top of the Forbes Wheels list data is gathered from consumer reports covering different aspects of each vehicle they purchase or regularly use. So this makes this list more reliable above others.
The demand for Japanese cars have grown so much over the decades but in Q4 2020 many automotive car manufacturers have been forced to reduce production & export even though the demand is surprisingly still high due to the economic downturn & Covid19 global restraints. The companies seem to still get by very well as their production seems to still meet the needs of their global consumers. So for a population of about 125.8 million (2020) with just about 10 automotive companies, Japan is well positioned to continue to serve their consumers with their demands.