TOKYO, JAPAN / MENA Newswire / – Japan’s new car sales rose 1.8% in the first half of 2026, marking a second straight first-half gain for the domestic auto market. Automakers sold 2,387,189 new vehicles from January through June, including minivehicles. The increase followed a stronger second quarter, after the market opened the year with softer first-quarter demand.
Japan auto sales data points to modest growth in the first half of 2026. (Credit – Toyota)
Industry data released Wednesday showed a broad but modest recovery across Japan’s vehicle market. The Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association compiled the figures for registered vehicles and kei-class minivehicles. Registered vehicles include standard passenger cars, trucks and buses. Kei vehicles are smaller, lower-tax cars that remain important in Japan’s urban and rural markets.
Toyota led Japan’s new car sales in the first six months. Its sales rose 5.3% from a year earlier to 751,324 vehicles. Daihatsu also posted higher sales, while some other brands showed mixed results by segment. The first-half gain reflected both passenger vehicle demand and stronger commercial vehicle sales.
Registered vehicle sales rise
Registered vehicle sales rose 2.0% in January-June to 1,530,413 units. Passenger car sales edged up 0.8%, while truck sales rose 11.9%. Bus sales increased 8.0%. The figures showed stronger demand outside the core passenger car segment, where growth stayed limited but positive.
June gave the market a stronger finish to the first half. Registered vehicle sales increased 13.7% from a year earlier to 281,571 units. That monthly gain helped offset weaker figures reported earlier in 2026. The June result also lifted the first-half total above the level recorded in the same period of 2025.
Kei vehicles remain steady
Kei four-wheel vehicle sales rose 1.3% in the first half to 856,776 units. The small-car category continued to account for a large share of Japan’s new vehicle market. June kei sales slipped 0.2% from a year earlier to 145,312 units. The category still added to the overall first-half increase because its six-month total remained higher.
The latest figures keep Japan’s auto market on a measured growth path after full-year sales rose in 2025. The first-half increase showed stable domestic demand across new cars, minivehicles and commercial vehicles. Industry data also showed that the overall market stayed below stronger levels seen before recent supply disruptions and model-cycle shifts.