Holcomb to lead economic development trip to Japan
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Gov. Eric Holcomb is set to lead a delegation on a weeklong trip to Japan, with the goal of shoring up longtime relationships with Japanese companies doing business in Indiana and securing additional investments from Indiana’s largest foreign investor.
Delegation members are scheduled to depart Thursday, arrive Friday and return on Friday, Sept. 15.
“The Indiana-Japan relationship is storied and strong, and I look forward to again visiting our friends in Japan and identifying new opportunities to further grow our cultural and economic partnerships,” Holcomb said in written remarks Wednesday. “Japan and Indiana share so many industry strengths and, with our shared commitment to building economies of the future, we are together poised to lead, innovate, and develop the future of advanced manufacturing, energy and mobility.”
Indiana has the largest amount of Japanese investment per capita among all U.S. states, according to the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Japanese companies employ more than 55,000 Hoosiers, and more than 300 Japanese businesses operate in Indiana, including Subaru Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Hitachi Ltd.
Gov. Holcomb will be joined by representatives from the Indiana Economic Development Corp., including Chief Strategy Officer Ann Lathrop, who recently joined Holcomb’s cabinet, to meet with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, Japanese government officials and private industry leaders.
Holcomb will also participate in the annual conference of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association, a bilateral organization comprising the governments of 10 U.S. Midwestern states, eight Japanese prefectures, and around 100 corporations.
Japan is the world’s third largest economy, the United States’ fourth largest trading partner, and, as of 2020, the top provider of foreign direct investment in the United States, according to the U.S. State Department.
Holcomb has made 16 international trips as governor. The cost of the trip is paid for through private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation.
Upon his return to Indiana, Holcomb will travel to San Francisco to speak at Dreamforce 2023, an annual conference hosted by Salesforce.