Nissan’s Oppama factory, opened in 1961, was once a crown jewel in Japan’s postwar rise to manufacturing powerhouse.
Today, it represents the dangers of being caught flatfooted in a rapidly changing industry.
The factory, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, is set to shut by March 2028 — part of Nissan’s wide-ranging restructuring after a slump in sales sparked its worst financial crisis since Renault rescued the carmaker from near bankruptcy a quarter century ago.
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