Tesla’s Japan Bet Pays Off — 1,996 Vehicle Registrations Mark 182% Jump In May

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk had expressed disappointment with the EV-maker’s market share in Japan as early as 2024, calling it "remarkably low.”
• In March, Musk said that Tesla was making big investments in Japan, amping up its service and supercharger network. 
• Tesla’s Japanese website allows customers to purchase new models of either the company’s Model 3 sedan or the Model Y SUV.

Tesla delivered a breakout performance in Japan in May, with new vehicle registrations jumping 182% year over year to 1,996 units, according to preliminary data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association.

The rise in registrations underscores Tesla’s accelerating momentum in a market long dominated by domestic giants like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.

Shares of TSLA fell marginally at the time of writing.

Musk’s Disappointment Over Japan Sales

Tesla CEO Elon Musk had expressed disappointment with the EV-maker’s market share in Japan as early as 2024, calling it "remarkably low.”

"Japan is the third-largest car market in the world of any country. So we should at least have a market share proportionate to, say, other non-Japanese carmakers like Mercedes or BMW, which we do not currently have," Musk said at the time, pinning it to a lack of awareness of Tesla in the country.

In November 2025, Musk also proposed that the company’s upcoming humanoid robot called Optimus will be great for Japan. The billionaire CEO was responding to a user who opined that the robot can alleviate the huge labor shortages in the country.

In March, Musk said that Tesla was making big investments in Japan, amping up its service and supercharger network. Musk’s confirmation came on the heels of a report from Nikkei Asia that Tesla now plans to double the number of directly operated service centers in Japan to more than 30 this year as it seeks to gain market share.

Tesla’s Japanese website allows customers to purchase new models of either the company’s Model 3 sedan or the Model Y SUV, starting at 5.3 million Japanese yen and 5.6 million yen, respectively.

How Did Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around TSLA stock rose from ‘bearish’ to ‘neutral’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume stayed at ‘normal’ levels.

A Stocktwits user highlighted the stock's volatility.

TSLA stock has gained 23% over the past 12 months. 

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