Foreign car brands struggle in Japan

TOKYO: Spotting a foreign car on Japanese streets is a rare sight—save for the odd luxury brand like Ferrari or Bentley—a point underscored at the ongoing Tokyo Motor Show.

It is now the third time that major US carmakers, including General Motors and Ford, have skipped the show, which is held every two years and which kicked off last week. Sources said their puny presence gives them little incentive to spend time and money trying to crack the world’s third-largest car market.