In Japan, the Toyota recall saga is seen overwhelmingly as an American attack on a Japanese corporation — a perception strengthened vastly, though I don’t think accurately, by the fact that the US government is the main owner of the country’s biggest automaker.
In fact, though, there are many states and regions in the US — many in the South and border states — where Toyota is the ‘company’ in the company town just as much as GM and Ford are in Detroit. And quite a few politicians in Congress have deep ties to the company. In other words, Toyota has sunk deep roots in the USA, both economically and politically.
Check out our story on GM America vs. Toyota America.