More Japanese Cars Made Overseas

For the first time, Japanese automakers made more cars abroad than they did on their own shores. During the fiscal year that ended March 31, 10.93 million cars were built in other countries, while 10.9 million were made in Japan. The most cars made somewhere other than Japan — 4.08 million — were built in the United States. But the main growth is coming from China, where Japanese companies — as well as the Big Three — are investing heavily. The reason for building cars overseas is a simple one for the Japanese companies: They want their cars closer to the people who buy them.

[Japan Makes More Cars Elsewhere, The New York Times]