Japan officials explored possibility of Nissan-Honda merger: Financial Times

This merger push demonstrates how involved Japanese officials were in the entire Ghosn fiasco.

The FT article actually states, “The idea of combining Nissan with Honda appears to have arisen from the protectionist instincts of advisers to prime minister Shinzo Abe.”

Perhaps a Nissan/Mazda or Mitsubishi merger makes more sense. Don't bring Honda down with the sinking ship. Nissan has potential for a comeback, but needs to succeed with the next gen gtr and z models.

What makes this the province of the government?

Welcome to a state Confucius is truly proud of.

Honda will never accept.

Something tells me it was Nissan who asked the government for help with a Honda merger. Of course they won't admit that.

Glad Honda told Nissan to take a HIKE!!! Nissan is poison now since management & the J-govt plotted to kidnap Ghosn & Kelly(by the way FREE him already!!) & then wanted to end the alliance with Renault..

And now.......we watch Nissan whither away.....

Don't drag Honda down to the level of Nissan. Soichiro Honda's spirit still runs in the company. They are so different: structurally, managerially, their corporate culture, their innovation and design; and they make attractive cars that people want.

Well, that's the government for you.

This is the same Japanese bureaucrats that killed Japan's shipbuilding(Japan Marine United), memory(Elpida) and display industry(Japan Display) that's trying to kill Japan's auto industry.

The only company that can save Nissan is Renault, not Honda. Accept this cold hard truth.

Government has strong control over the national companies.

If they lax the rules they'll be owned by foreign capital in the split of a second.

Honda shows political risk isn't limited to Brexit.

A completely nonsensical proposal. Why in the world did they think that Honda would want to be saddled with Nissan's dead weight? How would these two companies integrate their operations or compliment each other's product lines? Did they even think of the clash of company cultures that would happen here? Have any of these people even worked in a large company before?

It seems that the deepest level of thought here was, "these are both Japanese companies so it should be OK." What a debacle.

Respect for Honda +1

I think that the merger is highly unlikely as both corporate cultures are so different. Especially Honda is a lone wolf; back in 1960s it resisted and survived pressures from the government who aimed to rationalise Japan's auto industry with massive merger initiatives (while the current Nissan was born through several mergers and alliances).

Isn't the whole drama of Ghosan arrest was to stop Nissan merger with Renault?

Yes, when it almost fells to Renault that means it will be owned by foreign company not Japanese one. The latest merger plan is more favorable for those people.

What a twist.

Isn't the whole drama of Ghosan arrest was to stop Nissan merger with Renault?