The company could close up to seven production sites as part of a consolidation effort
- Nissan is closing their Oppama plant in Japan and consolidating production in Kyushu.
- The plant currently builds the Note and Note Aura, and employs roughly 2,400 people.
- NV200 production is also coming to an end, but a successor is planned for fiscal year 2027.
Nissan has announced plans to end production at their Oppama plant in Japan. The facility will cease operations at the end of the 2027 fiscal year, marking another blow to the automaker.
The Oppama plant began production in 1961 and employs approximately 2,400 people. It currently builds the Note and Note Aura, but it has previously made an assortment of other models including the Bluebird, Cube, Juke, and Leaf.
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However, Nissan’s decline has doomed the plant and it’s getting the axe as part of their Re:Nissan recovery plan. Under this effort, “current and future models scheduled for production at Oppama will be manufactured at Nissan Motor Kyushu.” That plant began production in 1976 and currently builds the Serena and X-Trail for Japan. The facility also builds the Rogue for overseas markets.
While the Oppama plant will be closing, its sprawling campus will remain open. This means the Nissan Research Center, crash test facility, and wharf will remain unaffected by the end of production.
Nissan said they’ll “explore a wide range of options” for the Oppama plant in the future and will be in talks with employees and their union. However, the company said the closure was necessary as they “concluded that transferring and consolidating vehicle production … is the most effective solution, based on production capacity, cost efficiency, and investment potential.”
The automaker went on to note their Re:Nissan plan calls for cutting global production capacity from 3.5 million units to 2.5 million units – excluding China. The company is hopeful that these cuts can increase plant utilization rates to around 100%. Nissan added they’ve been “considering the consolidation of production sites from 17 to 10.”
Speaking of which, Nissan announced production of the NV200 will end at the Shatai Shonan plant in fiscal year 2026. However, a successor will be introduced the following fiscal year.
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said “Today, Nissan made a tough but necessary decision. It wasn’t easy – for me or for the company – but I believe it’s a vital step toward overcoming our current challenges and building a sustainable future.” He went on to say, “We will continue to operate in the Oppama area with strong support for the local community, as we carry forward the spirit of Oppama plant and work to restore Nissan’s true value.”
