Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb meets with Japanese officials in 2021. Photo provided by Gov. Eric Holcomb.

By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz
Indiana Capital Chronicle

INDIANA — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb will lead an economic development trip to Japan — the state’s largest foreign investor — his administration announced Wednesday.

It’s Holcomb’s third official visit to the country.

“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 a news release.

More than 300 of Indiana’s foreign-owned businesses are Japanese-owned, and they employ more than 50,000 people, according to the release.

He’ll fly out Thursday and arrive in Japan on Friday. And his schedule is jam-packed.

Holcomb and leaders from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation will meet with government officials representing the U.S., Japan, and Tochigi Prefecture in Tokyo, the capital city. Tochigi Prefecture and Indiana maintain a 24-year sister-state relationship.

Holcomb will also go to the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association’s annual conference in Tokyo. Indiana is one of 10 Midwestern U.S. state members, alongside eight Japanese prefectures and dozens of corporate members.

The governor will additionally meet with numerous Japanese companies with Indiana operations, including Subaru, Toyota, Honda and Hitachi. And he’ll meet with “new business prospects to discuss opportunities for investment,” according to the release, alongside Japanese business and trade groups.

Then, Holcomb will head to manufacturing-focused Gunma Prefecture, which established a formal partnership with Indiana a year ago.

“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,” Holcomb said.

He’ll return to the U.S. next week — but to California. There, on Sept. 14, he will speak at an annual conference hosted by Salesforce, a large employer in Indiana. Finally, Holcomb will return to Indiana on Sept. 15.

The trip will be Holcomb’s 16th abroad as governor.

Private donations to the quasi-public Indiana Economic Development Corp. will pay for the trip, according to the administration.