Tennessee will be the host state for the 48th Annual Joint Meeting between the Southeast U.S./Japan Association (SEUS/Japan) and its Japanese counterpart, the Japan-U.S. Southeast Association (Japan-USSE).
The meeting will take place in Nashville on October 25-27, 2026, with former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam serving as Chairman alongside his Japan Joint Co-Chairs, Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) Global CEO and Representative Executive Officer Yasuhiro Morita and Masaaki Tsuya, who served as Bridgestone’s Global CEO from March 2012 through March 2020, and who continues to serve as Chairman of the Japan-USSE Association.
According to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Bridgestone Corporation, whose western global operations are headquartered in downtown Nashville, is one of Japan’s iconic brands that has made a lasting impact in the Volunteer State since 1983 through its economic contributions and commitment to community development. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Bridgestone employs more than 3,800 Tennesseans across its manufacturing, retail sales and headquarters operations statewide and more than 14,200 in the seven SEUS/Japan member states.
Japan remains Tennessee’s top partner for foreign direct investment (FDI) with nearly 210 Japanese businesses statewide that account for more than 50,000 jobs and more than $21 billion in capital investment.
For more information on the SEUS/Japan 2026 meeting and registration details, please visit seusjapan.org.