As mentioned in a different thread about panel gaps and paint defects, the Japanese people are extremely picky about these details. Far more so than most Americans. It's not a matter of "Japanese quality going down the drain"; it's the opposite; the OEM's have realized that different consumers have different sensibilities and they have adjusted accordingly. It's a waste of money to polish out a small dirt pimple in the paint, or fix a slightly tapered hood gap, for an American buyer.
Regarding Quality, Quality Control is the process of managing a process and ensuring the product is built to specifications. It has nothing to do with the quality of the design. For a Quality guy, "Quality" means built to specifications. And if the specification allows a few dirt pimples or a taper gap here and there, that's all good.
