Japan’s vehicle sales rise by 9% in April

Japan’s domestic new vehicle market expanded 9.1% year-on-year to 373,952 units in April 2026, driven by a 33% surge in light-truck sales while passenger-vehicle sales fell 2.3%. YTD through April, overall sales dipped slightly to 1,627,309 units; passenger vehicles down 2.3% and truck sales up over 13%. Toyota led YTD sales (+1% to 509,985 units) with Daihatsu and commercial vehicles strong, while overseas brands’ share fell ~7% to 73,488 units. The report notes weak consumer sentiment and a slowing economy (Q4 2025 GDP +0.2% y/y) after central bank rate hikes. GlobalData forecasts light-vehicle sales to fall >2% to 4.42m in 2026. Implication: mixed near-term domestic demand signals that could weigh on Japan 225 sentiment despite pockets of auto-sector strength.