Japan’s auto industry needs Olympian effort to return to former glory

In 2012, when Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, took office, the country's automotive sector was in the middle of a rapid recovery after the earthquake and tsunami of the previous year. Car sales were soaring on the back of small car subsidies, while a decline in the yen had seen vehicle output shoot up. In 2017, his fifth year in office, Abe will