Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine kicks off the Midwest U.S.-Japan Conference in Columbus.
Chris Keller, Director of Strategic Initiatives for FHCED, attended the 54th Annual Midwest U.S.-Japan (MWJA) Conference in Columbus on Sept. 9-10.
During the event, more than 300 top elected officials and business leaders from Japan and 10 midwestern states (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin) convened to foster economic collaboration. The host country rotates annually between the U.S. and Japan. U.S. member states are honored with the opportunity to host the conference once every 20 years. Honda, Ohio’s largest employer, was the title sponsor of the event.
According to a press release from JobsOhio, Japan is one of Ohio’s largest inbound international investors in terms of jobs created, with more than 65,000 Ohioans employed at 435 Japanese-owned facilities. The Saitama Prefecture in Japan and Ohio are official Sister States.
Hancock County is home to seven Japanese companies. Leaders from Findlay and Japan have nurtured a lucrative business, educational and cultural exchange since 1984. Findlay and Kawaguchi, the second largest city with a population of more than 600,000 in the Saitama Prefecture, hold an official Friendship Cities agreement.
Some speakers at the event included H.E. Shigeo Yamada, Japanese Ambassador to the U.S.; Robert Koepcke, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Japan, Korea and Mongolia in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs; Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine; Hon. Yusuke Shindo, Consul General of Japan in Detroit; Gordon Dobie, Chair of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association; Takeo Inokuchi, Chair of the Japan-Midwest-U.S. Association; Gov. Taizo Mikazuki of the Shiga Prefecture; Gov. Tony Evans of Wisconsin; Gov. Motohiro Ono of the Saitama Prefecture; Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana, and Gov. Ichita Yamamoto of the Gunma Prefecture.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Building an Ecosystem for Innovation, Growth & Sustainability.” Since 2013, Ohio has won more than 130 economic development projects with Japanese-owned companies through the work of JobsOhio, the press release states.
