Japan became the largest vehicle producing country in 2006 for the first time since 1993, surpassing the United States, according to a recent survey by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.

2006 saw 11.48 million vehicles, including minivehicles with engines of up to 660 cc, produced in Japan, up 6.3 percent from a year earlier, the survey found.

The U.S., which had been at the top since 1994, fell to second, with production falling 5.7 percent to 11.26 million units for the fourth straight year of declines, said the Paris-based vehicle manufacturers' organization, which consists of 42 trade associations around the world.