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Yomiuri Shimbun
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nissan's Closure Plan Casting Shadows on Local Communities; Concerns Voiced over Impact on Local Employment, Economy
The Yomiuri Shimbun Nissan Motor Co.'s Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture Nissan Motor Co.'s envisaged plan to close two plants in Kanagawa Prefecture is casting shadows on the local communities. The company is currently making arrangement to shut down its flagship Oppama plant in Yokosuka and the Shonan plant of its subsidiary Nissan Shatai Co. in Hiratsuka, both in the prefecture. Local governments and businesses have expressed concerns over the adverse impact that the closures would have on the areas. Another blow 'If the plants are closed, it will significantly impact employment and the economy. People in the prefecture are concerned,' said Kanagawa Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa in an emergency meeting with senior prefectural government officials on Monday. He instructed the officials to gather information quickly. Of Nissan's 13,000 or so business partners, Kanagawa Prefecture is home to more than 1,700, according to Tokyo Shoko Research, Ltd. If the Kanagawa plants are shut down, an impact on the local economy will be inevitable. 'Dark clouds are already gathering over the entire automobile industry due to the U.S. government's high tariff policy,' said a man in his 20s working at a Nissan subcontractor developing in-vehicle systems. 'The plant closures would just be another blow to the industry.' The closures would also hit stores in local shopping streets. 'Oppama has developed with Nissan, so I truly hope that the plant here will not be closed,' said the manager of Hokaben Nihontei Oppama-ten, a bento store near the plant. On weekdays, the store sells about 100 bento boxes at lunchtime, and most of them are bought by plant employees or people visiting the plant on business. 'If the plant is closed, we'll certainly be affected,' the manager added. Oppama Shoseikai, a shopping area around Oppama Station, which is on the Keikyu Line and near the plant, is lined with restaurants and food shops frequented by plant employees. 'We have yet to recover from the coronavirus pandemic,' said Toshimi Oda, 68, director of the shopping street's union. 'We feel like salt is being rubbed into our wounds.' The Yomiuri Shimbun Production declines Nissan announced on May 13 that it will shut down seven plants worldwide, including in Japan, by fiscal 2027. It's a 'painful' and 'sad' decision to make, said Nissan President Ivan Espinosa in a news conference about the plan. At that point, the company had not begun to make full-scale arrangements with the local governments concerned or the company's labor union, according to sources. The two plants were apparently picked to be closed due to their aging production facilities and declining operating rates. The Oppama plant, which has an annual production capacity of 240,000 cars, currently manufactures the Note, a compact car, and its derivative models. Up until fiscal 2019, it produced five models, including the Leaf, an EV model. The Shonan plant, which produces commercial vans, currently manufactures only about 20,000 units, despite an annual production capacity of 150,000 units. Nissan has five vehicle production plants in Japan. In addition to the Oppama and Shonan plants, it has one plant in Tochigi Prefecture and two others in Fukuoka Prefecture. An executive of the company said the two Fukuoka plants would be enough to meet demand in Japan at a meeting to discuss how to overhaul the company's production system, according to sources close to the company. The Tochigi plant was reportedly excluded from restructuring plans because it has a test course, which is necessary to develop vehicles, and because the company has invested about ¥33 billion to turn the plant into an EV production center. During the 1990s, Nissan produced more than 2 million cars in Japan. In fiscal 2024, however, the number slipped to the 640,000 level. The proportion of Japan-produced cars in the firm's global production figures dropped from over 70% to about 20% due to the relocation of its production centers to the United States, the automaker's main market, among other factors. In addition, the operating rates of all domestic plants are about 50% due to slumping domestic sales. Nissan's performance is also poor. The company forecasts an operating loss of about ¥200 billion for the quarter through June. It is also saddled with debts totaling about ¥700 billion, including corporate bonds that will reach maturity within the current fiscal year.
Barnama
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Barnama
Nissan Tells Workers Closure Of Key Oppama Plant Not Decided
Photo taken on May 19, 2025, shows Nissan Motor Co.'s Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Photo Credit Kyodo) TOKYO, May 20 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Nissan Motor Co. on Monday told employees at its signature Oppama plant, near Tokyo, that reports of its planned closure were not definitive, according to some workers at the factory, Kyodo News Agency reported. The struggling Japanese automaker was reported on Saturday to be considering shuttering the plant in Yokosuka and the Shonan plant of its unit, Nissan Shatai Co., in Hiratsuka, raising uncertainty over the future employment and treatment of the workforce. The country's third-biggest automaker by volume said last week that it will shut seven vehicle plants and cut 20,000 jobs globally after logging a net loss of 670.90 billion yen (US$4.6 billion) for fiscal 2024. bootstrap slideshow Nissan pioneered electric vehicle production at the Oppama plant, which has an annual production capacity of around 240,000 vehicles and employed 3,900 people, including researchers, as of the end of October last year. The Shonan plant builds commercial vehicles. The prefectural government held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss offering consultation and re-employment services in reaction to the potential closures. "If they really do close, it will have a huge impact on employment and the economy," Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa said at the meeting. "We will consider our options from a multitude of angles." Following the discussions, Kuroiwa told reporters that Nissan contacted the prefecture on Saturday after the initial reports. Nissan officials visited the prefectural office on Monday to inform it that nothing has been decided. The prefectural government conveyed to Nissan its hope that the automaker will endeavour to limit the consequences of its actions. During a regular press conference on the same day, Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji emphasised the importance of the more than 60-year history of the Oppama plant and said he hoped it would be "restored to its former brilliance." Nissan officials also visited the city on Monday. -- BERNAMA-KYODO BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial , @bernamatv , @bernamaradio Twitter : @ , @BernamaTV , @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial , @bernamatvofficial , @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Nissan tells workers closure of key Oppama plant not decided
TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co. on Monday told employees at its signature Oppama plant, near Tokyo, that reports of its planned closure were not definitive, according to some workers at the factory, Kyodo News Agency reported. The struggling Japanese automaker was reported on Saturday to be considering shuttering the plant in Yokosuka and the Shonan plant of its unit, Nissan Shatai Co., in Hiratsuka, raising uncertainty over the future employment and treatment of the workforce. The country's third-biggest automaker by volume said last week that it will shut seven vehicle plants and cut 20,000 jobs globally after logging a net loss of 670.90 billion yen (US$4.6 billion) for fiscal 2024. Nissan pioneered electric vehicle production at the Oppama plant, which has an annual production capacity of around 240,000 vehicles and employed 3,900 people, including researchers, as of the end of October last year. The Shonan plant builds commercial vehicles. The prefectural government held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss offering consultation and re-employment services in reaction to the potential closures. 'If they really do close, it will have a huge impact on employment and the economy,' Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa said at the meeting. 'We will consider our options from a multitude of angles.' Following the discussions, Kuroiwa told reporters that Nissan contacted the prefecture on Saturday after the initial reports. Nissan officials visited the prefectural office on Monday to inform it that nothing has been decided. The prefectural government conveyed to Nissan its hope that the automaker will endeavour to limit the consequences of its actions. During a regular press conference on the same day, Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji emphasised the importance of the more than 60-year history of the Oppama plant and said he hoped it would be 'restored to its former brilliance.' Nissan officials also visited the city on Monday.
New Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Nissan tells workers closure of key Oppama plant not decided
TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co. on Monday told employees at its signature Oppama plant, near Tokyo, that reports of its planned closure were not definitive, according to some workers at the factory, Kyodo News Agency reported. The struggling Japanese automaker was reported on Saturday to be considering shuttering the plant in Yokosuka and the Shonan plant of its unit, Nissan Shatai Co., in Hiratsuka, raising uncertainty over the future employment and treatment of the workforce. The country's third-biggest automaker by volume said last week that it will shut seven vehicle plants and cut 20,000 jobs globally after logging a net loss of 670.90 billion yen (US$4.6 billion) for fiscal 2024. Nissan pioneered electric vehicle production at the Oppama plant, which has an annual production capacity of around 240,000 vehicles and employed 3,900 people, including researchers, as of the end of October last year. The Shonan plant builds commercial vehicles. The prefectural government held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss offering consultation and re-employment services in reaction to the potential closures. "If they really do close, it will have a huge impact on employment and the economy," Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa said at the meeting. "We will consider our options from a multitude of angles." Following the discussions, Kuroiwa told reporters that Nissan contacted the prefecture on Saturday after the initial reports. Nissan officials visited the prefectural office on Monday to inform it that nothing has been decided. The prefectural government conveyed to Nissan its hope that the automaker will endeavour to limit the consequences of its actions. During a regular press conference on the same day, Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji emphasised the importance of the more than 60-year history of the Oppama plant and said he hoped it would be "restored to its former brilliance." Nissan officials also visited the city on Monday.
Japan Today
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Today
Nissan tells workers closure of key Oppama plant not decided
Nissan Motor Co on Monday told employees at its signature Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture that reports of its planned closure were not definitive, according to some workers at the factory. The struggling Japanese automaker was reported on Saturday to be considering shuttering the plant in Yokosuka and the Shonan plant of its unit, Nissan Shatai Co, in Hiratsuka, raising uncertainty over the future employment and treatment of the workforce. The country's third-biggest automaker by volume said last week that it will shut seven vehicle plants and cut 20,000 jobs globally after logging a net loss of 670.90 billion yen for fiscal 2024. Nissan pioneered electric vehicle production at the Oppama plant, which has an annual production capacity of around 240,000 vehicles and employed 3,900 people, including researchers, as of the end of October last year. The Shonan plant builds commercial vehicles. The prefectural government held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss offering consultation and reemployment services in reaction to the potential closures. "If they really do close, it will have a huge impact on employment and the economy," Kanagawa Gov Yuji Kuroiwa said at the meeting. "We will consider our options from a multitude of angles." Following the discussions, Kuroiwa told reporters that Nissan contacted the prefecture on Saturday after the initial reports. Nissan officials visited the prefectural office on Monday to inform it that nothing has been decided. The prefectural government conveyed to Nissan its hope that the automaker will endeavor to limit the consequences of its actions. During a regular press conference on the same day, Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji emphasized the importance of the more than 60-year history of the Oppama plant and said he hoped it would be "restored to its former brilliance." Nissan officials also visited the city on Monday. © KYODO
