THE ASAHI SHIMBUN AND WIRE REPORTS
A Toyota dealer in Fukuoka Prefecture shows off the new Toyota Spade. Japanese automakers enjoyed brisk sales in 2012, thanks in part to government subsidies for eco-friendly automobiles. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Sales of new vehicles in Japan in 2012 exceeded the number of units sold the previous year for the first time in two years, topping 5 million units for the first time in four years.