Kazuko Shimoda, 62, wasn't surprised when she heard in October 1999 that the Nissan Motor Co. plant across the street from her tobacco store in Musashi-Murayama, western Tokyo, was to close by the end of March.
"For several years until then, I'd been hearing rumors that Nissan wasn't doing well and that the plant was gradually reducing the number of workers," said Shimoda, who has lived in the area for 38 years. "The people around here have recognized the state of the company for some time now."
And the feelings of Murayama residents are probably shared by other communities facing the closure of Nissan factories in other parts of the country.