While the Detroit 3 might be headed into the vortex of a rust bowl one might be envious of the success of our Japanese friends on American shores. But that envy might change into sympathy if you look at what’s happening in the land of the rising sun.

Auto sales in Japan, having declined for 18 straight months. Analysts attribute the slide to an aging populace, zero population growth and a weak economy. The country’s population peaked in 2004 at 127.8 million and has declined by about 17,000 since then. Government demographers forecast that the population will decline to 95.1 million by 2050 a significant downward bump.
Continue reading →