> Cars in Japan drive on the left, and unlike US rivals European automakers usually put the steering wheel on the correct side for vehicles sold there, he added.

> That could be changing. General Motors' 8th-generation Chevrolet Corvette has right-hand drive in Japan for the first time.

> "I think that reflects efforts (for selling in Japan) by manufacturers and importers," Misawa said.

This explains the numbers at the start of the article:

> Meanwhile US industry leader General Motors sold just 587 Chevrolets and 449 Cadillacs in Japan, while Ford pulled out of the tough Japanese market nearly a decade ago.

If you're not selling cars suited to the market you won't sell many cars in that market. This is not a surprising thing.

Many Japanese streets can't fit giant USA cars like a Ford Expedition or trucks a Ford ranger.