COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine plans to attend a trade mission to Japan next month.
The Republican governor announced the six-day trip Wednesday. It will revolve around the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association annual conference in Tokyo, which hasn't been attended by an Ohio governor in over a decade.
Japan is Ohio's top international investor, with 852 Japanese companies employing nearly 73,000 Ohioans. Honda Motor Co., Ohio's largest manufacturer, leads the list with 15,000 employees.
Meanwhile, Ohio firms exported more than $1.67 billion worth of products to Japan last year, making the country Ohio's fifth largest export market.
The mission kicks off Sept. 8. DeWine will be joined by the heads of JobsOhio, the state's privatized economic development office, and the Ohio Development Services Agency.
Former Republican Gov. John Kasich visited Japan in 2017.
