In handing Greg Kelly a six-month suspended sentence and fining Nissan, a Tokyo court seemed intent on issuing a proxy judgment for Carlos Ghosn in absentia.

Kenji Shimotsu just handed down a harsh jail term to a 90-year-old defendant in another case.

The wait begins in the case -- a proxy for ousted boss Carlos Ghosn -- that could see the former HR executive sentenced to two years in a Japanese prison.

A weakening yen has emerged as a windfall for the country's automakers, helping buoy results just when they need it most amid pinched production and derailed deliveries.