- The Japanese passenger car market was down 8.9% in March 2020 from March 2019, as Japan saw the coronavirus crisis come later than China, Europe and the United States.

- Curiously, the Japanese market had experienced larger declines in January 2020 (-12.1%) and February 2020 (-9.8%), unrelated to the coronavirus crisis, but rather a consequence of economic conditions in Japan.

- On the cumulative 3 months 2020, the Japanese market therefore fell by 10.0%, a better result than those recorded in China, Europe and the United States.

- On the other hand, the month of April being threatening as regards health in Japan, it is likely that the Japanese market will know a significant fall in April, more important than that of March.

- The Japanese administration announces a period of containment and the temporary closure of factories and car dealerships in April, as happened much earlier in China, Europe and the United States.

- The manufacturers most affected in the first quarter of 2020 were Mitsubishi (-23%), Nissan (-18%), Honda (-15%) and Suzuki (-12%). The Toyota group, yet the undisputed leader in sales in Japan, saw its sales fall by only 5%, and therefore its market share increased further during the quarter. Subaru is down 3.5%. Mazda is stable and is also seeing its market share increase.