Background
There are many Japanese car manufacturers. They include Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki and more. They produce a wide range of cars and trucks.

The most notable performance cars from Japan in recent years include the Subaru WRXs, Mitsubishi Lancer EVOs, Honda Type-Rs, Toyota Supras, Nissan Skylines, and Mazda RX-7s. All of these are either four or six-cylinder cars which rival even the most powerful V-8s of other countries.

Japanese cars have a reputation for reliability and efficiency. They are affordable, sensible, and highly-functional. However, they lack the flair, heritage, luxury, and prestige of many European cars. Although this has changed in recent years, especially with the introduction of up-market lines from Toyota (Lexus), Honda (Acura), and Nissan (Infiniti). The Lexus, in particular, has emerged as a worthy competitor to even BMW and Mercedes. This 'fact' might be disputed by many German-car-lovers, but the reality is, Lexus has eaten into their sales.

The automotive product produced today in Japan is a far cry from where it was at the end of World War II, when they were obscure, small-engined, unreliable jokes, much like brands from Eastern Europe today (like Dacia or Yugo).

In the US, Japanese cars are positioned all the way from entry-level, budget compact cars up to luxury Lexuses. However the majority of them are mid-range sedans that compete directly with many GM, Ford, and Chrysler models.

They are positioned slightly above Korean cars, although in recent years Korean models have built a better reputation for themselves and are quickly being regarded by many as almost on par with their Japanese cousins.

The cost to manufacture a Japanese car is lower than to build an American car, mostly due to lower retirement commitments these automakers have committed to former employees. Nevertheless, in the US, their workers still belong to unions, like at GM, Ford, and Chrysler.

Customer Needs
Japanese manufactures have been far more receptive to what the consumer actually wants than their American counterparts have been. Positioned somewhere between American and German, they have adapted with the time, exemplifying how Autonomics can work for the industry, not against it as is being seen in the US today. These manufacturers embraced ideas of the environment (emissions and alternative fuels), and safety aggressively. They did it as well as the Germans but at a fraction of the price. Following this, Toyota has become the largest producer in the world, surpassing even Detroit's largest, General Motors.

Brands
Below is a partial list of some of the more well-known Japanese manufacturers:

• Daihatsu (1954-present)
• Honda (1962-present)
  • Acura (1986-present)
• Isuzu (1953-present)
• Mazda (1960-present)
• Mitsubishi (1917-1921; 1959-present)
• Mitsuoka (1981-present)
• Nissan (formerly Datsun)
  • Infiniti (1989-present)
• Subaru (1958-present)
• Suzuki (1956-present)
• Takeoka (1990-present)
• Toyota (1936-present)
  • Lexus (1989-present)
  • Scion
• Yamaha (1992-1993)