Japanese government holds first cross-ministerial task force meeting for stable supply of important goods Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Ryosei Akazawa, who was appointed as the minister in charge of securing stable supply of essential goods, held the first cross-ministerial task force meeting on April 2 and received a briefing from relevant ministries concerned about the supply of fuels, naphtha, and other essential go...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/03

Mitsubishi Materials to collaborate with U.S. company on rare earth recycling Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (Mitsubishi Materials) announced that it has decided to make an investment in U.S.-based ReElement Technologies Corporation (ReElement) and signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on recycling rare earths and rare metals in both Japan and the U.S. ReElement engages in recycling critical mineral resources such as rare earths. ...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/03

y of more than 60 years, it has played a central role in the production of light commercial vehicles and Toyota’s frame-based vehicles. Currently, it manufactures the Toyota “Land Cruiser 250,” as well as the Toyota/Hino brand light-duty trucks “Dyna” and “Dutro,” and vehicles for the Japan Self-Defense Forces. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota, the company will enhance its manufacturing competitiveness. The Hamura Plant is cur...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/03

Automotive companies commit ZAR 19.8 billion in investment during 6th South Africa Investment Conference On March 31, the South African Investment Conference (SAIC) announced that the Automotive Manufacturing sector committed ZAR 19.8 billion in investment during the 6th South African Investment Conference. There is a total of six proposals. An undisclosed automotive component producer from Japan has committed an investment of ZAR 1.2 billion in ...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/02

Toyota launches US-produced Tundra and Highlander in Japan On April 2nd, Toyota announced that it will introduce the Tundra, a full-size pickup truck produced at its San Antonio, Texas plant, and the Highlander, a mid-size SUV produced at its Princeton, Indiana plant, to the Japanese market, utilizing the new regulations implemented on February 16. Initially, the vehicles were launched on April 2 through Toyota Mobility Tokyo Inc. A nationwide la...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/02

Osaka Metro to suspend use of EV Motors' electric buses due to "difficulties in ensuring safety and long-term stability" Osaka Metro announced on March 31 that it will suspend operations of 190 electric buses in total provided by EV Motors Japan Co., Ltd. (EVMJ, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture). These electric buses, manufactured by three emerging Chinese bus manufacturers, were introduced for passenger transport at last year's ...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/02

FY2025 new vehicle sales in Japan down 0.9% y/y to 4.53 million units In the fiscal year that ended in March 2026 (FY2025), Japanese new vehicle sales (total of mini and non-mini vehicles (registered vehicles)) declined by 0.9% year-over-year (y/y) to 4,533,782 units for the first time in four years. While Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. saw increased sales, mainly of mini vehicle, thanks to the introduction of new vehicle models and the rebound from it...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/02

e EV market is domestically and internationally expanding, Sharp plans to clarify its future direction early, including the possibility of postponing or abandoning its market entry. In October 2025, Sharp announced its market entry policy for FY2027 when it unveiled details of its EV concept at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) 2025. This is the second model, an evolution of the "LDK+" unveiled in 2024, and was developed based on the "Model A" EV fro...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/01

Japanese government releases information on naphtha procurement from non-Middle Eastern sources On March 31, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced that the amount of naphtha procured from sources outside the Middle East had doubled from the normal 450,000 kiloliters per month to 900,000 kiloliters per month. Of this total, 300,000 kiloliters were procured from the U.S. The ministry plans to continue expanding alternat...

News  Updated at: 2026/04/01

Nissan closes CIVAC plant in Mexico after nearly 60 years On March 27, Nissan Mexicana permanently closed its CIVAC plant, ending nearly six decades of continuous operations. The facility, which began operations in 1966 as Nissan’s first plant outside Japan, produced more than 6.5 million vehicles over its lifetime and served as a key industrial and economic driver in the region. The closure follows a restructuring plan announced in 2025, under...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

Turing succeeds in VLA model-based autonomous driving on public roads for first time in Japan Turing Inc. (Turing), a developer of autonomous driving systems based in Ota Ward, Tokyo, announced that it has successfully conducted public-road testing of autonomous vehicles using a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model, a form of physical AI. This marks the first public-road trial in Japan using a VLA model. The VLA model integrates visual information ...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

s opportunities by offering integrated solutions that incorporate software, targeting new business areas such as drones and robotics.Under the agreement, LG Innotek will mount its camera sensing modules on Applied Intuition's autonomous driving validation reference vehicles in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. LG Innotek will analyze the collected data to improve its sensing modules under diverse environments. Simultaneously, LG Innotek plans to condu...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

METI unveils policy for establishing supply chain security evaluation system, aiming for system launch by end of FY2026 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Cabinet Secretariat's National Cybersecurity Office of Japan have announced a policy to evaluate the status of efforts to strengthen security across the supply chain. It assumes that, in a transaction agreement between two firms, the ordering side will present the approp...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

Eight Japanese passenger vehicle OEMs’ February 2026 performance: global production falls for 2 consecutive months, 3 leading OEMs suffer slowdown The global production volume of eight Japanese passenger vehicle manufacturers fell 1.4% year over year to 1,943,619 units, marking two consecutive months of decline. Three leading automakers, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, saw declines. Subaru also saw a decline: although it completed renovations at its...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

Japan Fair Trade Commission issues recommendations to Yazaki Parts in violation of subcontract act On March 30, Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) announced that Yazaki Parts Co., Ltd. (Yazaki Parts, Minato Ward, Tokyo), a manufacturer of wire harnesses and related parts, had violated the "Act Against Delay in Payment of Subcontract Proceeds, etc. to Subcontractors" (currently revised to “Act Against Delay in Payment of Fees, etc. to Small and ...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

Japan’s Minister Akazawa meets officials from fuel oil, oil-related product industries Due to the heightened tensions in the Middle East, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Ryosei Akazawa, met officials of the fuel oil and oil product-related industries at the Ministry. They confirmed that the government and industry will collaborate to secure alternative procurement sources and eliminate imbalances in domestic distribution. Mr...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

Tesla investing to expand service center, charging network in Japan On March 30, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a post that “Tesla is making a big investment in Japan with service & Superchargers. Many of the parts in Teslas are made in Japan. Panasonic has been our biggest strategic supplier over the past 2 decades.” The post accompanied information that Tesla plans to double the number of directly operated service centers in Japan to more than...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/31

e of material properties, it also leads to lighter and smaller parts. The downsizing of parts can secure open interior space, which contributes to the improvement of the value of vehicles. The challenge with the technology is cost. Metal powder is expensive, costing about JPY 10,000 per kilogram in Japan, Europe, and the U.S., which can make parts prices tens of times higher compared with existing methods. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha S...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/30

Japanese government to revise evaluation criteria for CEV Introduction Promotion Subsidy effective April 1 It was learned on March 27 that the Japanese government will revise the evaluation criteria for the "Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) Introduction Promotion Subsidy" effective April 1. Efforts toward economic security will be given more weight than before. Amid concerns over a slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) investment, the revisions aim to enco...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/30

Japanese CEV Introduction Promotion Subsidy to be revised from April 2026 It was revealed on March 27 that the evaluation standards of Japan’s “Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) Introduction Promotion Subsidy” will be revised from April 1. The standards will include improved evaluation items relating to the stability of supply, and additional evaluation items such as efforts for the stable supply of automotive batteries approved under the Economic...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/30