Why Japanese cars are square

WHY are Japanese cars so often the shape they are? Embracing the square, the angle, the straight edge?

I discovered why when visiting the Tokyo Motor Show back in September. Absolute magic dream, it was, to spend a few days in busiest Tokyo.

My, though, was it different. A bigger culture shock than any other country I’ve visited. Two examples: navigation is impossible, as all the signs are in Japanese. And you can’t expect, as we Brits usually do, that someone will speak English to help out. My walk, one afternoon, was thus eventful. And long.

Most striking discovery, though? That the whole of suburban Japan embraces the straight edge.

Square spaces, gaps, walkways and, indeed, holes. Into which round pegs just don’t work. Land prices, building regulations, plain lack of space – whatever the reason, square is the shape.

This geometricity somehow becomes natural, obvious, sensible. To see cars with curves thus becomes wrong. How one earth are they going to fit THAT easily into  a parking back? Think of the wasted metal on display in THAT. And so on.

And this is thus why Japanese cars are square.