A: Hey there! Did you catch the news about Kanagawa?
B: Nope, what's going on?

A: Well, it looks like Nissan might be closing some factories in our neighborhood, including the one in Yokosuka and another one in Hiratsuka.
B: Whoa! That sounds serious... What does that mean for us locals?

A: The governor says it'll have a big impact on our economy and jobs. He asked Nissan to make it as painless as possible, but they said nothing has been decided yet.
B: Sounds like things are up in the air... But I heard Nissan wants to cut 20,000 jobs and close seven factories globally by 2027?

A: Yeah, that's what I heard too. It seems two of those factories might be here in our prefecture.
B: The Oppama plant? That one's been around for a while, right?

A: Exactly! And there are about 3,900 people working there. Businesses nearby are worried because if the workers disappear, they could really struggle.
B: Man, that's not good at all... I hope things work out for everyone involved.

Officials in Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo held an emergency meeting on Monday after reports that Nissan Motor may shutter local plants.



Two factories in the prefecture are reportedly included in a cost-cutting plan: Oppama plant in Yokosuka City and a subsidiary's plant in Hiratsuka City.



During the emergency meeting, Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji said that the closure of the plants would have a massive impact on the local economy and employment. The governor said he asked Nissan to try and minimize the impact. Officials say Nissan told them on Monday that nothing had been decided.



The automaker aims to reduce its global workforce by 20,000 and cut seven production sites around the world by fiscal 2027. Sources say the plan includes two factories in Kanagawa prefecture.



The Oppama plant has been one of Nissan's main production sites for many years. As of last October, it had a workforce of about 3,900.



Businesses around the factory are worried about their futures. The manager of a boxed-lunch store says he was shocked to hear the news. Iwabuchi Norihiko said that if Nissan's workers are no longer around, his business will face a very difficult situation.