I'm not so sure. Automobiles are the leading export for both Japan and Germany, but Japan's auto fraction is significantly larger: > https://tradingeconomics.

I'm not so sure. Automobiles are the leading export for both Japan and Germany, but Japan's auto fraction is significantly larger: > https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/exports-by-category https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/exports-by-category > https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/exports-by-category https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/exports-by-category What's more, Germany mostly "exports" to neighboring EU countries, which is a low friction and more stable proposition. Japan's exports are mostly to the US, China, and South Korea; its top export destination is China (+ Hong Kong). > https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/exports-by-country https://tradingeconomics.com/japan/exports-by-country Bottom line is that any scandal that hurts Japan's auto industry really hurts Japan's entire economy.