Japan’s domestic new vehicle market saw a 1.3% year-on-year increase to 433,683 units in September 2026, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA). This increase follows a 2.4% decline to 428,216 units in the same month last year.
Sales of passenger vehicles rose 0.9% to 360,743 units, while truck sales increased 2.8% to 71,894 units. Bus and coach sales surged 23% to 1,046 units.
The market has been supported by the discontinuation of the prefectural Environmental Performance Tax and the fulfilment of order backlogs by vehicle manufacturers. Consumer sentiment has also improved, reflecting household income growth.
In the first nine months of the year, vehicle sales increased 2.3% to 3,545,421 units.
Toyota led the market with a 6.2% sales rise to 1,128,193 units, driven by strong commercial vehicle sales. Daihatsu saw a 3.2% sales increase to 403,161 units, while Suzuki’s sales declined less than 1% to 551,134 units.
Overseas brands, including German and Chinese companies, accounted for almost 5% of total vehicle sales in Japan.
The sales figures for the first nine months of the year indicate that the market is performing well. Toyota, Daihatsu, and Suzuki are among the top performers in the market. The sales of overseas brands have fallen, but they still account for a significant share of the market.
GlobalData expects light vehicle sales in the country to be 1% lower at 4.47 million units in 2026, after sales rose by 3% to 4.52 million units in 2025, followed by a 4% decline to 4.32 million units in 2027.
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