The strong yen has rendered Japan’s auto industry uncompetitive and manufacturers are now accelerating the move offshore. Auto shipments shrank to 4.4 million last year from 6.5 million in 2007, according to the WSJ:
The era of wait-and-see is over. Japanese manufacturers realize they need to move quickly or risk losing competitiveness
Trade deficits in Japan will be a staple over the next 10 years and the yen will face long term pressure.
