KANDA, Japan, May 7, 2026, 08:06 JST
- Nissan is shifting production from its Oppama plant to Nissan Motor Kyushu, and is also rolling out new layoffs across Europe.
- Roughly 2,400 jobs at Oppama shift into focus, as do the political dynamics in Kyushu’s factory town—both now central to the automaker’s recovery strategy.
- Trading kicked back into gear in Tokyo following Golden Week. Nissan shares had most recently finished at 350.7 yen on May 1.
Nissan Motor’s decision to move vehicle manufacturing from the longstanding Oppama plant outside Tokyo down to its Kyushu facility is emerging as a critical challenge for Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa’s turnaround efforts. The company also announced cuts of roughly 900 jobs in Europe, consolidating production at its Sunderland plant in the UK.
The Kyushu transfer is a key moment for Nissan. The company is leaning on it to prove the Re:Nissan recovery plan can actually trim expenses, boost how much its plants are running, and shore up cash ahead of full-year results on May 13.
Japan Exchange Group marks May 4-6 as holidays for Golden Week, putting the Tokyo markets on pause. Yahoo Finance had Nissan closing at 350.7 yen before the break, and as of the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s 9 a.m. open, no fresh real-time quote was available.
Nissan announced last year it plans to shutter vehicle production at Oppama by the end of fiscal 2027, shifting both existing and new models over to Nissan Motor Kyushu. The Oppama facility, which began operations in 1961, has rolled out upwards of 17.8 million vehicles and currently employs roughly 2,400 workers.
Espinosa described shutting Oppama as a “tough but necessary” choice, adding that the plant’s legacy wasn’t going anywhere. Nissan, for its part, said operations like the research center, crash-test site, and wharf near Oppama would stay. Employees will stay on at Oppama through the end of fiscal 2027, Nissan said, and discussions with the union about future work arrangements would follow once policies are finalized. Nissan News
Signs of local tension have started to surface. According to a regional Japanese outlet, some workers in Oppama are calling the shift a “dressed-up layoff.” Over in Kanda, the town in Fukuoka Prefecture surrounding Nissan Motor Kyushu, officials are preparing for a boost as the area gears up to expand its production role. Kobe Shimbun NEXT
The pressure extends beyond Japan. On Tuesday, Nissan announced plans to eliminate roughly 10% of its jobs in Europe, mainly targeting office staff and warehouse positions, and will consolidate Sunderland operations from two lines to just one. “We have been taking decisive actions,” Nissan stated, saying its goal is a “leaner, more resilient business.” Reuters
Nissan has dropped its plans to produce battery-electric vehicles at its Canton, Mississippi facility in the U.S., shifting the site’s outlook. “Canton does have a future that will include diverse powertrains, but it will not include EVs,” Nissan U.S. operations spokesperson Ashli Bobo told Automotive Manufacturing Solutions. Automotive Manufacturing Solutions
The math is telling. Nissan now sees its fiscal 2025 operating profit at 50 billion yen, a sharp turnaround from the 60 billion yen loss it had projected earlier. Cost cuts did some of the heavy lifting, and currency swings helped, too. There was also a one-time boost related to U.S. emissions regulations. Still, the company is bracing for a net loss of 550 billion yen.
Trading volumes are still light. Nissan reported a 7.0% drop in global sales for March compared to last year. Looking at April 2025 to March 2026, sales slid 4.2%. Production in Japan tumbled 13.1% during that fiscal year, while domestic registered-vehicle sales sank 19.0%.
There isn’t much time for a leisurely turnaround. Back in April, Reuters Breakingviews columnist Katrina Hamlin flagged that Nissan’s 2030 sales goals stack up as aggressive when set against industry outlooks and the pace of Chinese competitors like BYD and Leapmotor. Reuters also reported Nissan and Honda are still talking about joining forces in North America, despite their merger talks falling through.
China just turned up the heat. Stephen Ma, who heads Nissan’s China operations, told Reuters Chinese brands moved “too fast,” prompting Nissan to “reset.” The automaker now aims for new investment and to speed up its new-energy vehicle lineup in the country’s massive car market. Reuters
Still, that Kyushu wager isn’t in the clear yet. If the yen gains more ground, Nissan risks losing a key tailwind behind its updated forecast. The currency surged Wednesday—holiday trading, thin volumes, chatter about possible Japanese intervention, but no confirmation from officials.
Kyushu has become something else for Nissan—more than just a stopover. The stakes are clear: investors, factory workers, and suppliers will look to this site to see if slashing factory operations can actually put the automaker back in the game, or if cutting costs just ends up sapping morale further.
