Cooper plans job recruitment trip to Japan

Gov. Roy Cooper will take a North Carolina delegation to Japan next week for an economic development conference in Tokyo, his office announced Friday.

The delegation will attend the Southeastern United States/Japan Economic Development Conference, which is scheduled to come to Charlotte next year, Cooper's office said.

“Japan is a highly valued economic partner for our state and it’s important to take this opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Japanese leaders and employers while laying the groundwork for our SEUS/Japan Economic Development Conference in Charlotte next year,” Cooper said in a news release. “On this trip, I will recruit new businesses with better paying jobs for North Carolina, while having discussions with and personally encouraging industry leaders to attend our conference next year so they can see for themselves what our great state of North Carolina has to offer.”

Japan is one of the United States' largest trading partners, and the governor's office said 225 Japanese companies have large presences in North Carolina and employ nearly 30,000 people. that number will grow in the coming years, thanks in part to announced expansions from Toyota, HondaJet and Fujifilm, the governor's office said.

Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Executive Director Chris Chung and other economic development officials will accompany the governor on this trip, his office said. The trip is scheduled for Oct. 11 through Oct. 15.

This is a rare overseas venture for the governor. Under the state constitution Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson becomes acting governor while Cooper is out of state, but Cooper's trip announcement said he will "continue to direct state business" while traveling.

Cooper was last in Tokyo in 2017, his office said, and he visited the Japanese ambassador's residence in May.