TOKYO -- "The reality is clear. We have a very high cost structure," Nissan's newly appointed president and CEO, Ivan Espinosa, said at a news conference in May.

Nissan Motor's Oppama Plant in Yokosuka, Japan, in January: Nissan is considering reducing two plants in Japan as part of its restructuring plans. (Photo by Sae Kamae)
Planned restructuring echoes successful 1999 shakeup, but climate now far tougher