Europe's Auto Industry Stumbles as Japan Rethinks Its Admiration for the West

Why This Topic Landed in Japan

A vague sense that "the West is more advanced" is being re-examined, on both the industry and the lifestyle fronts. European vehicle production fell in 2024 amid competition from Chinese makers, higher costs, regulation and shifting demand, though the picture varies by country, company and segment, and investment continues. Concrete talking points—the fallout from the diesel scandal and a rushed pivot to EV rules—pushed people to reassess the European model and fed a wider, cooler check on blanket admiration for life abroad, tying the industry story to a running comparison of which countries are actually good to live in.

Key Reaction Themes

• Europe's EV and environmental rules backfiring (most common) — The loudest take was that regulations meant to shut out Japanese cars ended up strangling European makers—self-inflicted.
• Chinese EVs and the ripple through the supply chain — Many pointed to makers like BYD and noted the damage spreading through parts, steel and logistics, not just the automakers.
• A cool comparison of living conditions — Others weighed Germany's welfare and safety against "the food is terrible" and immigration, pushing back on uncritical admiration.

What Japanese Netizens Are Saying

Europe's auto industry is struggling

Chinese EVs and a rushed EV shift have left Europe's car industry in trouble, with effects reaching its whole supply chain.

Sources: 2ch

Comments:

• "Mercedes and the like don't feel like they've dropped much; it's mass-market imported cars that have plummeted."
• "Because they screwed up with diesel."
• "And the auto sector has an insanely wide base. If only the automakers died it'd be one thing, but parts, steel, chemicals, machine tools, logistics—it drags them all in. Europe's whole 'build cars and export them' model is wobbling."
• "The EU can't manufacture domestically anymore, right? That's worse than falling apart."
• "VW: 'We're firing our white-collar staff!'"
• "The emissions and EV rules meant to shut out Japanese cars ended up strangling European makers—it's laughable."
• "Seriously, we're entering an era where Europeans build Chinese cars in Europe. And the only countermeasure being tariff hikes is just sad..."
• "The European auto industry keeps blowing itself up with rules it made itself."
• "I told you all along that EVs would never catch on."
• "In the European market, Korean cars have been dominant for 30 years and Chinese cars for a few years. Japan is the one special market where Asian cars don't sell—which just shows how absurdly good the value of Japanese cars is."

Ranking the "winning" countries to be born in

A discussion picked apart which countries—Singapore, Iceland, Switzerland, Germany—are the "jackpot" places to live, weighing their real conditions.

Sources: 2ch

Comments:

• "What do you think the last one is? Personally I'd say the Federal Republic of Germany. Welfare is generous, public safety is decent, and I hear the economy is better than Japan's. Germany values its craftsmen, and I have a strong impression that its vocational schools (like Japan's technical high schools) are well developed."
• "By the way, Hiroyuki Nishimura ('Hiroyuki') reportedly says the top three jackpot countries to be born in are Singapore, Iceland, and Japan. I agree on Singapore and Iceland, but Japan is a bit of a stretch..."
• "Singapore's two years of military service is rough. Switzerland's is four months, so that sounds bearable."
• "Republic of Iceland 🇮🇸: safer than Japan; extremely high GDP per capita (wealthy); strong fisheries; strong in IT; almost no countries it's on bad terms with. The downsides are that the cold is nothing like a Japanese winter and there's little entertainment."
• "Swiss Confederation 🇨🇭: as safe as Japan or safer; few natural disasters, unlike Japan; cool climate; far wealthier than Japan; strong in finance and IT; life expectancy as long as Japan's. Its weakness is that there are no big cities—even Bern, Zurich, and Geneva are so-so—so there's little entertainment..."
• "Singapore is trash because it's too cramped, and Switzerland has nothing and its conformity pressure is suffocating—trash. Typical of idiots who only look at the numbers."