Jiang Feng, chief writer of "Japanese Overseas Chinese Daily".
Made in Japan is one of the national credibility brands created in Japan, and it is also a myth that has lasted for decades in Japan's manufacturing industry. The frequent occurrence of accidents has made Japanese manufacturing gradually fall from the altar. Recently, in a sigh, the bleak performance of the century-old company Toshiba ending its 74-year listing history is regarded as a kind of "demolition" of the painstakingly built manufacturing altar. Japanese netizens said: This makes people's backs chill. Even Toshiba, which was famous in the past, is only the "tip of the iceberg" of the severe cold of Japan's manufacturing industry. Under the banner of "automobile nation", the Japanese automobile industry is getting more mud on it.
As Christmas approaches, one of the peak consumption seasons, Daihatsu Kogyo Co., Ltd., a well-known Japanese automaker, announced that it has suspended the production and production of all 28 of its models, due to the discovery of 25 new crash tests involving vehicle safety in April this year, such as falsification, and a total of 174 new findings. The safety testing scandal forced the production line to stop in an all-round way, and this time it was no longer just a sigh from fans, but also more disdain from consumers and society for counterfeiting, as well as disappointment and even anger at the self-destructive reputation of well-known car manufacturers. As a member of the Toyota Group, Daihatsu is known as the "King of Small Cars". And Japanese experts pointed out that Daihatsu is of special significance to Toyota's "expansion" in Asia and the world. The soul torture of Dafa, directly hitting Toyota behind it, has the meaning of "success is also Xiao He, defeat is also Xiao He". However, for the Japanese automobile manufacturing industry, which is no longer a pool of clear water, the emergence of the "Daihatsu" scandal deserves more attention and consideration.
Counterfeiting and defects are moving towards "inertia", and the mythical Japanese automobile manufacturing needs to increase the spirit of introspection. The counterfeiting scandal that broke out in Daihatsu did not trigger a first-class reaction, and the key factor is that the "problematization" of Japanese automobile manufacturing has continued or even intensified in recent years. For example, Mitsubishi Motors' fuel cost test data was tampered with in 2016, Suzuki Motor Vehicle inspection procedures were lacking, Nissan Motor Vehicle inspection procedures were lacking in 2017, Subaru fuel cost and exhaust problems in 2018, and Mazda, Yamaha Motor, Hino Motors, and a series of other problems. Toyota is the "first brother" in the field of Japanese automobile manufacturing, and the "fig leaf" that was torn off by Dafa occurred today after the above-mentioned frequent problems. Obviously, in the face of the "common problems" in the industry that have been in front of us for many years, the Japanese manufacturing that has been rigorous and meticulous, truth-seeking and pragmatic has not taken the initiative to reflect and self-purify. Behind the fans' sentence "who else can I believe in the future", it makes people see the mythical mentality circle that is difficult to get out of.
The lax state and industry regulation is also to blame. Behind the benign market behavior of enterprises, there must also be the "strict management and love" of the regulatory system. Obviously, the reason why many Japanese companies and manufacturers, including Daihatsu, are able to deceive themselves in a blatant manner also reflects the imperfection of the national regulatory system. In their investigations, the Japanese media specifically talked about the "bureaucratic system" of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as the competent authority. Toyota, which is a benchmark in the automotive industry, has even been transferred to the judicial authorities in 2022 after the wave of problems in the automobile industry that has been exposed almost every year, allowing the outside world to see the inaction of the competent authorities. These problems are easily related to the political funding problems of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, which is a sensation today, and constantly "puzzle pieces" for the lack of functions of the ruling party and the first party.
Tomohiko Nakamura, a professor at Kobe International University in Japan, pointed out that the problems in the automotive industry are shaking the foundations of Japan's manufacturing industry. Some people also say that in the era of intelligence, traditional manufacturing is no longer king. In any case, Japan's automobile manufacturing, which once made a lot of money, has to face the current situation of lagging competition in the field of new energy, and also has to endure the continuous outpouring of "self-injury" and "internal injury" represented by counterfeiting.