Vehicle production in Japan fell to 743,289 units in November, down 12.2 percent from the previous year amid declining demand, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Friday.
The fifth straight month of decline reflected continued weak consumer spending after the April consumption tax hike.
Car production sank 14.0 percent to 618,249 units, while trucks slipped 1.6 percent to 114,616 vehicles and buses slid 2.1 percent to 10,424 units, JAMA said.
Domestic demand in the month shrank 9.0 percent to 416,139 units.
The government raised the consumption tax rate to 8 percent from 5 percent on April 1, dampening household spending and business investment and slowing industrial output, especially among domestic carmakers.
Auto exports, meanwhile, slid 11.5 percent to 368,113 units for the fourth straight monthly fall, JAMA said.