Japanese automobile sales in other Asian markets are forecast to reach five million units in 2008, surpassing the domestic market for the first time, a newspaper said Sunday.
Combined domestic sales by eight Japanese automakers shrank six percent to 4.94 million units in 2007, and they are expecting sales at home to remain almost unchanged from the 2007 level, the Nikkei newspaper said.
In sharp contrast, sales of Japanese cars in Asia, including China and Pacific nations, jumped 14 percent to 4.8 million units in Asia last year, the business daily said.