In 2019, Tennessee was ranked #1 Best Business Climate in Business Facilities' Annual State Rankings Report. Japanese firms account for more than half of the foreign direct investment in Tennessee.   Nearly $19 billion in capital investment is credited with creating thousands of jobs for the state’s residents in fields such as automotives, electronics and renewable energy.  Considering that in 1977, Japanese investment comprised only about 2 percent of all FDI in Tennessee, this growth is nothing less than astounding.

Companies that are now among the world’s leaders in manufacturing, technology and logistics are at home in Tennessee.  Bridgestone, Brother, Denso, Komatsu, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Nissan, and  Sharp are just a few of the better known Japanese brands that have maintained a longstanding and growing presence in the state. In June 2019, Mitsubishi Motors North America announced it would invest $18.25 million to move its U.S. headquarters from California to Tennessee.