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Popularity of Kei Cars in Japan

Author: Adeel Arshed
by Adeel Arshed
Posted: Aug 12, 2020

In Japanese, kei cars are referred to as Kei-Ji-Dou-Sya, which means "lightweight car." They are the size of a BMW mini and quite common to see throughout Japan. In fact, out of all four-wheeled vehicles in Japan in 2016, 39 percent of them were kei cars, according to the Japanese Kei Car Association. That means that more than 30 million kei cars are registered in Japan.

Some of the most well-known manufacturers of kei cars are Daihatsu, Mazda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Toyota. However, at the moment, Daihatsu, Honda, Mitsubishi and Suzuki are the only mass-production manufacturers of kei cars.

For kei cars to be made and sold within Japan, they must follow specific laws and regulations. First of all, kei cars have to have a maximum engine capacity of 660 cc. They also have special number plates. Private vehicles have yellow number plates with black lettering, and commercial vehicles have black number plates with yellow text.

There are two primary reasons that kei cars are popular in Japan: money and the size of the roads. World War II was devasting for Japan’s economy, and although many people during that time could afford to buy a motorcycle, many others did not have enough for a car. The kei car was created to stimulate the automobile industry and provide transportation for small business owners. The least expensive 2019 kei car is a Suzuki model that sells for approximately $8,000.

The streets in Japan are quite narrow and not large enough for a vehicle of a regular size to drive comfortably. The kei cars are popular because they can access areas that standard cars cannot. As more and more Japanese people purchased kei cars, there was little incentive to expand roads to fit bigger cars, which simply made the kei car even more preferable.

Unfortunately, in recent times, higher taxes for purchasing kei cars in Japan have led to a decrease in sales. Although the future of the kei car currently looks dimmer that it used to, it is safe to say they will not be disappearing from the roads in Japan anytime soon.

Some similar kei looking cars:

Honda That’s

It is probably safe to say that anyone would wonder what a car that has a pronoun and a contraction for a title looks like. Is it a half-finished automobile? A car with half the space? In reality, it is simply a kei car (a light Japanese vehicle) that also happens to look like a particularly tall wagon and had a maker who had a bad case of writer’s block when it came time to give it a name.

Daihatsu

This kei car looks like it has lost its top layer of sheet metal, leaving it quite exposed—in more ways than just the name.

Honda Life Dunk

This motivational (or demotivational, depending on how you interpret it) moniker has been bestowed upon a turbocharged version of a kei car.

Suzuki Every Joypop Turbo

This name for a small turbocharged van sounds like it was written by a teenage girl enamored with boy bands.

Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard

This title for a full-size passenger SUV might have sounded magical in development, but perhaps it should have remained in the fantasy book that inspired it.

Daihatsu Scat

At the very least, this name for a compact off-roader should have been run through a dictionary to ensure that it evokes other images of camping trips besides the waste left by a bear.

Gazooba has been an expert in the field of exportation of used vehicles, including kei cars, for quite some time, and we know precisely what to search for to fit your exact needs. Email Gazooba at info@gazooba.jp to find your next top-quality used kei car.

About the Author

Adeel Arshed is an experienced search engine optimization specialist and blog writer at adeelarshed.com

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Author: Adeel Arshed

Adeel Arshed

Member since: Aug 09, 2020
Published articles: 1

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