Tokyo, June 27 (Jiji Press)--Combined global vehicle sales by eight major Japanese automakers in May rose 0.5 pct from a year before to 2.02 million units, data from the companies showed Friday. Of the eight, Toyota Motor Corp. saw its global sales climb 6.9 pct, thanks to the popularity of hybrid vehicles in North America. Rush demand apparently continued in the United States due to concerns over possible price hikes reflecting high tariffs by President Donald Trump's administration. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Daihatsu Motor Co. also posted higher global sales. On the other hand, Mazda Motor Corp. posted a 9.1 pct global sales decline, while Subaru Corp. logged a 6.3 pct drop, dampened by weak sales in the United States due to a slowdown in the last-minute demand. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]