It is unfortunate that the U.S. chose to use automobiles as its wedge to open the alleged "closed" markets of Japan. One Japan-based managing executive of the Big Three has even admitted that they consider the Japanese automobile market to be open. Japan is not the island of protectionism in a sea of free trade that its critic allege. The problem for the U.S. auto-makers is not a lack of market access, but a lack of effort. The first step required for the U.S. auto makers to sell competitively in Japan is not to impose of ridiculous tariffs, b ....