For Japan's automobile industry, these fifty years have traced a continuous evolution from the establishment of its infrastructure after the war, through the advancement of motorization and the growth of the industry, and onto multiphase globalization and interdependence with the rest of the world.

In the postwar years, automobiles changed the culture and lifestyles of the Japanese people tremendously, serving both as a transportation medium and as a means of communication. At the same time, by creating a wide variety of related industries for the manufacture and servicing of motor vehicles, automobile production grew to become one of Japan's leading industries.

This booklet outlines the evolution of the Japanese automobile industry over the past half-century and the contributions the industry has made to society, to the economy, and to people's lives. Combining a summary of the progress made in the forty years following the war, which was published by JAMA in 1987, with a newly compiled summary of the past ten years, this booklet is designed to provide a quick overview of the past fifty years of Japan's motor vehicle industry.

We hope that readers will find it useful in gaining a better understanding of the history of our industry.