Japan In February 2013: Down 8 Percent

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: March 1st, 2013

Japanese automobile sales were down eight percent in February 2013, compared to the same month in the prior year. This according to consolidated data by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association.

Regular vehicle sales Japan February 2013ManufacturerFeb ’13Feb ’12YoYYTD ’13YTD ’12YoYDaihatsu159287-44.6%354486-27.2%Hino3,5233,09413.9%5,8425,4517.2%Honda28,73650,440-43.0%49,69694,709-47.5%Isuzu4,4174,657-5.2%7,5128,101-7.3%Lexus3,6473,5542.6%7,2116,7127.4%Mazda15,72014,11511.4%28,35526,9775.1%Mitsubishi7,0635,65524.9%12,32310,40418.4%Mitsubishi Fuso2,6022,638-1.4%4,2194,646-9.2%Nissan53,92855,679-3.1%98,13895,3292.9%Subaru10,2527,60634.8%20,33913,52350.4%Suzuki7,1477,613-6.1%12,32513,984-11.9%Toyota135,475158,877-14.7%240,830283,510-15.1%UD Trucks598690-13.3%1,0811,246-13.2%Other19,13218,3084.5%33,50731,4026.7%Total292,399333,213-12.2%521,732596,480-12.5%Domestic266,704308,392-13.5%476,053553,722-14.0%Imports25,69524,8213.5%45,67942,7586.8%Data courtesy Japan Automobile Dealers Association

Sales of regular vehicles, tallied by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, were down 12.2 percent, a sixth month of decline after the stop of government subsidies. Sales of imported vehicles resist the downtrend. In February, nearly 10 percent of all regular cars were made outside of Japan, 6.5 percent by non-Japanese makers.

Mini vehicle sales Japan February 2013ManufacturerFeb ’13Feb ’12YoYYTD ’13YTD ’12YoYSuzuki52,09052,0180.1%96,74994,3462.5%Daihatsu59,76563,969-6.6%105,810117,763-10.2%Mitsubishi6,2838,875-29.2%11,25616,222-30.6%Subaru5,2129,572-45.5%8,91718,327-51.3%Honda37,66326,71541.0%72,35646,49455.6%Mazda4,8445,247-7.7%9,9889,8701.2%Nissan15,65516,440-4.8%27,85829,771-6.4%Toyota3,4143,574-4.5%6,1596,273-1.8%Other13-66.7%24-50.0%Total184,927186,413-0.8%339,095339,0700.0%Data courtesy Japan Mini Vehicles Association

Sales of minivehicles, recorded by the Japan Mini Vehicles Association, were down slightly in February, and are flat for the year. Minivehicles had seen growth in the past months, even after the subsides expired.

Total vehicle sales Japan February 2013ManufacturerFeb ’13Feb ’12YoYYTD ’13YTD ’12YoYDaihatsu59,92464,256-6.7%106,164118,249-10.2%Hino3,5233,09413.9%5,8425,4517.2%Honda66,39977,155-13.9%122,052141,203-13.6%Isuzu4,4174,657-5.2%7,5128,101-7.3%Lexus3,6473,5542.6%7,2116,7127.4%Mazda20,56419,3626.2%38,34336,8474.1%Mitsubishi13,34614,530-8.1%23,57926,626-11.4%Mitsubishi Fuso2,6022,638-1.4%4,2194,646-9.2%Nissan69,58372,119-3.5%125,996125,1000.7%Subaru15,46417,178-10.0%29,25631,850-8.1%Suzuki59,23759,631-0.7%109,074108,3300.7%Toyota138,889162,451-14.5%246,989289,783-14.8%UD Trucks598690-13.3%1,0811,246-13.2%Other19,13318,3114.5%33,50931,4066.7%Total477,326519,626-8.1%860,827935,550-8.0%

On a consolidated basis, sales are down, but still not the -25 percent that had been predicted for after the end of the subsidies.

#BertelSchmitt #February2013 #Japan #JapanInFebruary2013 #Sales

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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16 of 17 comments

EquipmentJunkie on Mar 01, 2013

Whoa! Look at Honda's home market numbers. Is Honda walking around with a turd in their pocket?

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- EquipmentJunkie on Mar 01, 2013
  
  On a serious note, those numbers point to a dramatic shift ocurring in Japan. If I have learned anything from the examination of US auto sales data over the years, it is that you rarely see dramatic shifts in sales gains or losses. Gradual trends take place rather than huge gains or losses. Japan is a different market than the US, but these numbers show major shifts top to bottom. The question is, what is driving the changes? Economic pressures, currency fluctuations (unlikely), or something else?
  
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- Bertel Schmitt on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @EquipmentJunkie There is nothing dramatic, at least not in these numbers. By the end of 2012, the Japanese market was up 27.5 percent after government subsidies ended in September. www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/01/japan-in-december-2012-a-much-better-year-than-some-predicted/ This had a serious pull forward-effect into the first half of 2012, with which we compare now. Japanese industry expected a 25 percent drop after subsidies ended, it didn't happen. If you want serious changes, you need to look to Europe. At Honda, you better look for something else than a turd in the pocket. Look at the bottom list. Honda's Japanese sales shifted massively from regular cars to minivehicles.
  
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- EquipmentJunkie on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @Bertel Schmitt I see. So, there is another major factor driving the changes other than "organic" market forces. I did look at the bottom list but it also seemed to have lots of motion outside of Honda, too. I didn't make my point very well. I was trying to explain that there is a lot of movement within brands and vehicle classes. Yes, Europe today is like the US in '09.
  
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- Th009 on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @Bertel Schmitt Still, overall, Honda is down well more than the market, and the shift to Kei sales cannot be good for profitability. Is the breakdown of the imports available? Is some of the Toyota (also down more than the market) or Honda moving more production outside Japan?
  
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- Bertel Schmitt on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @th009 The import breakdown will be available next week. January saw no significant change. VW still on top and growing. Honda imports nothing. Toyota's and Nissan's imports actually were down in Jan. I'd say most of the "Japanese" imports were Nissan and Mitsubishis. The "Other" number are foreign imports. "Japanese" imports are the difference between "Imports" and "Other."
  
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- PenguinBoy on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @EquipmentJunkie Japan is facing the same demographic headwinds as Europe, with a rapidly aging population and falling birthrate. Unlike North America, they don't seem to be offsetting the declining birthrate with immigration. Their economy has been bouncing along the bottom for over 20 years, and their debt is by far the worst of any industrial country. Their economy continues to hollow out thanks to high production costs. Because of this, I would expect a slow decline in the size of the JDM over the next several years.
  
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- Pete Zaitcev on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @PenguinBoy How about the next several decades?
  
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- Raph on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @PenguinBoy ''North America, they don’t seem to be offsetting the declining birthrate with immigration.'' Boy that's a viscous cycle, keep America stocked full with people so its an employers market. Cheap wages and fewer benefits for everyone.... woohoo!
  
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- Summicron on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @raph "Cheap wages and fewer benefits for everyone…. woohoo!" And higher taxes of every kind for the schools, health care, prisons, police and case workers. Uncontrolled immigration is just piling-on more misery.
  
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- Bertel Schmitt on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @PenguinBoy Overlay the age distribution of Japan with that of Germany, and you will be in for a big surprise. The problem is MUCH bigger in most parts of Europe than in Japan.
  
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- Pete Zaitcev on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @Bertel Schmitt Except that Germany hoovers Turks and Russians by millions, and Japan does not. Japan is a dead country walking, and Germany is gonna be all right if they jettison PIIGS.
  
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- Th009 on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @raph Immigration does not need to be uncontrolled. Countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand seem to be able to manage it well.
  
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- Th009 on Mar 01, 2013
  
  @th009 Thanks, Bertel, that makes sense.
  
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Raph on Mar 01, 2013

Hmm... I just read an article about deflation in Japan right now prompting buyers to hold off on large purchases hoping that lower pricing occurs.

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- Pete Zaitcev on Mar 01, 2013
  
  That's just a bunch of Keyesian lies. Deflation is the only thing that keeps food on the table for the Japanese. The economists on the take of Wall Street fatcats always pile up on deflation as something horrible, because they would prefer massive hyperinflation is the alternative, because inflation transfers the wealth from small savers to the ultra-rich and large financial corporations who can embed the cost of inflation into the financial products that they offer. Duh. Deflation has certain implications in the international trade, which are not always positive, just like everything really. But all these sob stories about modified consumer behaviour are just that: propaganda.
  
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