American cars used to sell well in Japan back in the 1960's.
Listen to Jidosha Show Ka (Motor Show Song) from that time:
Can you spot American auto brand names?
Among Japanese, British, and German names, there are quite a few American brand names:
Packard, Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Chrysler, and Lincoln.
See? There are a lot of American names.
Back then, so many people wanted American cars, but they were too expensive and too high maintenance. In other words, if you had one, it was a symbol of your wealth.
And now, if a Japanese person wants a foreign car, (s)he would want a German car.
They don't want American cars. There are no barriers unlike what POTUS claims. American cars are just not very attractive.
If you want to sell American cars in Japan, you have to make them as attractive as Toyotas and Hondas.
Small Chevies don't count because they are made in South Korea, so they won't pump up American employment.