Japan auto lobby sounds alarm over weak domestic sales

TOKYO: The head of Japan's auto lobby on Thursday said a "sense of crisis" hung over the industry, with unexpectedly weak domestic sales revealing the failure of government stimulus policies and currency turmoil hitting key export markets.

Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) Chairman, Fumihiko Ike, said the April sales tax hike was only partly to blame for the domestic sales weakness, citing the government's failure to boost consumption.