January sales of new vehicles in Japan hit their highest level for the month since 1997 as buyers rushed to beat a sale tax increase due in April.

Regular vehicles sales (excluding minivehicles) rose 27.5% to 292,446, according to figures from the Japan Automobile Dealers’ Association.

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Sales of mini-cars, with engines smaller than 660cc, were up 32.1% at 203,659.

Biggest gain in the month was by Honda which saw its sales rocket by 64.4% to 91,500, placing it ahead of Nissan (67,500 sales) and behind Toyota (194,600).

Sales tax increases from 5% to 8% in April and then to 10% in 2015. A similar tax increase in 1997 from 3% to 5% sparked the wave of buying in January of that year.

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