Auto sales in Japan for the year ended March 2024 rose 3.3 percent to 4.53 million vehicles, though the total volume sold still fell short of pre-pandemic levels, industry data showed Monday Sales of cars, buses and trucks rose for two straight years in fiscal 2023, as chip supplies to auto manufacturers improved after the industry was hit by a supply bottleneck triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Domestic auto sales, excluding those of minivehicles with an engine displacement of 660 cc or less, rose 7.8 percent to 2.90 million vehicles, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers A…