The Continuing Japan-U.S. Trade Dispute

Regarding “If You Build It Right, Japan Will Buy,’ by Go Yoshida (Community Comment, June 2) On the other side of the coin, I say, if you build it right the United States will buy.

My family and I are proud to be Americans. We also own three Toyota automobiles. Why? Because for quality, style and value, we couldn’t find anything comparable from U.S. manufacturers.

We are not dyed-in-the-wool Toyota customers--it just worked out that way. When we wanted a minivan in 1985, the slickest product on the market was a Toyota. When my Mazda RX7 was totaled in 1991 (What American company has a comparable product?) the Toyota Tercel was the lowest-priced sedan on the market. Last year when we went shopping for a new van, we honestly looked at all of the American products. When the Plymouth dealer informed us that there were no head restraints available for the passenger seats in the Voyager, we bit the bullet and bought a Toyota Previa.

MICHAEL HAGER

Yorba Linda

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As a professional educator and one who has lived in both Japan and the United States, I take exception to Go Yoshida’s “If You Build It Right, Japan Will Buy.” Yoshida has missed the whole point of the continuing trade differences with Japan. Free trade is just that. In the 1950s, 60s and early ‘70s there was no American impediment to the entry of Japanese products into the United States regardless of how shoddily built they may have been. The market determined a product’s viability.

Japan’s markets are closed both political as well as ethnic reasons. No amount of statements to the contrary will change that fact. His call on President Clinton to stay out of the fray ignores the role of the Japanese Ministry of Trade, and warrants less respect.

S. RAMIREZ

Carlsbad