Why Japan keeps repeating the same corporate fraud scandals

Nation needs stronger whistleblower protections, tougher audits and real penalties

Avatar
20250523 hino in 2022

Hino Motors executives bow at a news conference in Tokyo in October 2022. © Kyodo

Tim Hornyak is a Tokyo-based journalist.

In March 2025, Toyota Motor subsidiary Hino Motors pled guilty in the U.S. to a long-term fraud scheme under which it had faked engine emissions data going back to at least 2003. The Justice Department's punishment was harsh: a $1.6 billion penalty and a five-year probation barring it from importing diesel engines.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.