Employee salaries in Japan aren't that low. I don't know what is a fair comparison but http://www.worldsalaries.org/employment-income.shtml http://www.worldsala

Employee salaries in Japan aren't that low. I don't know what is a fair comparison but http://www.worldsalaries.org/employment-income.shtml http://www.worldsalaries.org/employment-income.shtml states that is US 30410/42028 vs Japan 25184/29882. I would say that the bigger advantage that Japan car industry has is that they actually been always innovative, agile and reactive to markets. Hell, the whole "agile method" has some origination from Toyota. US industry has invented and started some markets like the SUV, but except for you guys, almost no-one else in their sane mind in the world buys them.