Japan’s automakers and the importance of China

The auto industry in particular has been feeling the effects of the Chinese boycott of Japanese products following the protests over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. In September Toyota and Nissan, two of Japan’s largest car manufacturers, announced the biggest month-on-month drop in sales in China since the start of the global financial crisis. In this Weekly we take a closer look at Japan’s auto sector and how important China is to Japan’s vehicle manufacturers.