Japan’s automotive industry has gone through a sea change since the mid-2000s. Back then officials of Japanese carmakers proudly claimed that their plants that kept humming in Japan were playing a key role in averting the ‘‘hollowing-out of Japanese industry’’ while many electronics and other manufacturers were offshoring production to cut costs.

Japanese firms increased capital spending in the July-September period by 5.0 percent from a year earlier, marking the first annual gain since 2007, the Ministry of Finance said in a report on Thursday.

Tokyo stocks rose Thursday, with the key Nikkei stock index climbing nearly 2 percent as encouraging U. S. economic data boosted investor sentiment and easing fears about Europe's debt crises, coupled with a weaker yen further contributed to a positive market mood.

Japanese manufacturing activity shrank for a third consecutive month in November as a strong yen hit exports.

Toyota Motor Corp said Thursday it will release its FJ Cruiser sport utility vehicle in Japan on Dec 4, a model that met strong demand overseas since its debut in the North American market in 2006. Powered by a 4.0-liter V6 gasoline engine, the FJ Cruiser gets 8.4 kilometers to a liter of gasoline, according to Toyota. Analysts say the SUV is the retro version of the original Land Cruiser that was a past global hit.