Automotive industry in Japan facts for kids

The automotive industry in Japan is known for the high quality products in the world. It is more popular than other countries’ one like Europe, America, Germany and so on. The car made in Japan has special attractions that the one made in other countries doesn’t have.

History

The automotive industry in Japan began in the Meiji period. Japanese people started to produce them based on the car which is imported from overseas then. In 1904, the first car which used steam as a power source was made in Japan. The first car that used gasoline as fuel was made in 1907. However, the japanese technology was very low, so they were not known to the world. After world war 2 finished, Japanese automotive industry developed and established the systems of mass production. As japanese car companies got new technology, they started to make original products. In the 1970's, they faced environmental problems, so they had to produce cars that didn't have a bad influence on the environment. The engine made by Honda was the first one in Japan that met a hard standard about the environment. As japanese automotive industry improved production’s safety and environmentally friendly technology, the cars made in Japan became popular and famous. In 2019, there were six cars made in Japan in the top 10 best selling cars in the world.

Feature

Japanese cars have been known for high quality in the world and said it is hard to break. Japanese cars tend to be designed to run longer on less fuel. The biggest difference between Japanese one and other country’s one is the position of the handles. For Japanese cars, it is the right-hand drive. Conversely, it is left-hand drive for other countries. The reason why japanese cars are right-hand drive is based on habit before the spread of automobiles. The main means of transportation was carriage then and the driver sat right side to flick a horse easily. There are some features like high safety and reliability. These are reasons why japanese cars are preferred.

In foreign countries

Thanks to high quality, many kinds of cars are used in many moments. For movies, some famous movies like Fast and Furious use japanese cars. For world races, they have enough power to win the championship at a race. In 2019, the Mazda team won the championship in America.

Cost

The average cost of every type of new vehicle

light motor vehicle 1,000,000 to 2,000,000yen

Sedan 2,000,000 to 5,000,000yen

Minivan 2,000,00 to 4,000,000yen

Compact car 1,300,000 to 2,500,000 yen

Coupe 3,000,000 to 15,000,000 yen

Wagon 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 yen

SUV 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 yen

Images for kids

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  First generation Toyota Corolla (1966), the world's all-time best selling line of cars; in its 12th generation as of 2018

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  The Mitsubishi Model A was produced in 1917

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  First Suzuki Wagon R, 1993, bestselling national kei class car

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  Mazda Cosmo 110S, 1967, one of first two mass-produced cars with Wankel rotary engine

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  Toyota Prius, 2005 European Car of the Year, first and bestselling mass-produced hybrid car