YKK is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Japan Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Japan newsletters.
In October, it was Georgia that hosted a blockbuster reception in Tokyo to mark a half-century of engagement through its economic development office there.
This Tuesday, the script was flipped during Japan Day at the Capitol, a half-day celebration of the economic and cultural impact of Japanese companies in a state where they are responsible for an estimated 40,000 jobs.
The Consulate General of Japan opened in Atlanta in 1974, a year after then-Gov. Jimmy Carter decided to put a physical presence in Japan in response to budding investment from companies like YKK and Murata.
“From there, the partnership blossomed, kind of like a cherry tree,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson in brief remarks highlighting how Japanese firms have spread to “every single corner” of Georgia.
In the capitol atrium, current Gov. Brian Kemp praised Consul General Mio Maeda and his team for their persistent presence in the state and presented the country’s top diplomat in the Southeast U.S. with a proclamation.
“When I look around this room I see a lot of partners here today, and that is certainly something we value here in Georgia,” Mr. Kemp said.
International investment accounted for 47 percent of the jobs and 65 percent of the capital pledged to Georgia in the latest fiscal year, the governor said. The state in 2022 broke its previous record for total trade by some $5 billion, reaching $196 billion in imports and exports.
Mr. Maeda had just been presented with resolutions in both the House and Senate celebrating the 50th anniversary of the consulate, part of a raft of activities organized by the Japanese community in partnership with the Georgia-Japan Legislative Caucus, a group of lawmakers with a significant Japanese presence in their districts.
The event included exhibition tables featuring products and brochures from Georgia-invested Japanese companies and organizations (full list at the end of this article).
Along with brochures and one-pagers, guests walked away with bottles of made-in-Georgia Marukan rice vinegar and Yakult yogurt drinks, soon to be manufactured in a $300 million-plus factory in Cartersville.
Parked outside on the street, an orange Kubota vehicle stood out against the gray fog, while an Indy Car sponsored by Hitachi Astemo and a Yamaha side-by-side made were shaded under a white tent.
“These companies have become part of who we are as Georgians,” Mr. Wilson said, noting that each job created represents hope and opportunity for a family in the state.
Mr. Maeda also credited the companies and the Japanese community they’ve helped build for the staying power of the consulate.
“Without their effort, we could not be here today,” Mr. Maeda said.
In his brief remarks, Mr. Maeda also offered condolences to victims of the earthquake in western Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture that killed more than 200 and left more than 20,000 people displaced on New Year’s day, a sentiment that was echoed by Mr. Kemp.
Key members of the Georgia-Japan Legislative Caucus also offered remarks, including State Rep. Teri Anulewicz (D-Smyrna), State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Cobb) and State Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin), who chairs the group.
Students from the International Charter Academy of Georgia, a state charter school in Gwinnett that offers dual immersion in Japanese and English, closed the day with a song on the outside steps of the capitol building.
Former Gov. Nathan Deal, who preceded Mr. Kemp, was also on hand for the event; he was set to be honored during a conferment ceremony for his Order of the Rising Sun designation during a reception at Mr. Maeda’s residence later in the evening. That decoration, which recognizes Mr. Deal’s contributions to the U.S.-Japan relationship, was announced in December.
Japanese companies with a presence at the Capitol:
- Marukan Vinegar Inc.
- Miura America Co., Ltd.
- Mizuno USA
- MUFG Bank
- TOTO USA
- Asahi Biosciences, Inc.
- Canon Solutions America, Inc.
- Hitachi Astemo Americas, Inc.
- Hoshizaki America
- Kubota Manufacturing of America Corp.
- Shimizu America
- Yakult USA
- Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A
- Yamato Transport U.S.A., Inc.
- YKK
See video of the event below:
The Pendleton Group is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Economic Development Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Economic Development newsletters.