For years, no decades, Japan refused to allow US cars in and refused to allow US companies to build factories or buy existing Japanese companies. When they finally did, they put a punitive tax (Non Tarrifed) system in place to severely punish them from being sold. 

Japan was 30th out of 30 in OECD stats for measuring access to foreign cars (not just amercan). Their auto distribution system was stacked against importers- existing auto dealers were forbidden to sell foreign autos. In Europe, many very small cars made by Ford in GM could easily drive in Japan but they were discriminated too. The insurance safety tests show that US made cars are every bit as safe as Japanese , some case even better. So please, don't tell me that the US cars wouldn't work in Japan. That's simply not true.