Mayor travels to Japan to explore economic development options

Friday, March 11, 2011 at 2:26pm
Staff reports

The Office of Mayor Karl Dean said Friday afternoon the mayor is traveling to Japan as a guest of the Japanese government to explore continued economic development opportunities between Nashville and the Asian nation.

Following the news Friday morning of the historic earthquake in Japan, the mayor conferred with Nashville-based Japan Consul General Hiroshi Sato before proceeding with the trip, which had been scheduled for several weeks and will extend through March 20. While the earthquake may require some changes to Dean’s itinerary, most of the cities the mayor plans to visit have not been heavily impacted by the disaster, the mayor’s office said.

During his visit, Dean will meet with representatives from several Japanese companies with a significant presence in the Nashville area, including Bridgestone, Nissan and Gibson Japan.

In addition, Dean will learn about mass transportation alternatives Japanese cities are undertaking. This could benefit the mayor’s work with the Middle Tennessee Mayors Caucus, the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee to implement a regional mass transit system in the Nashville area.

Also, Dean will visit Kamakura to work on increasing cultural and civic relations between that city and Nashville.

“Nashville is increasingly becoming an international city, and international companies play a significant role in our local economy — Japanese companies specifically,” Dean said in a release. “This visit solidifies our city’s relationship with the Office of the Consulate General of Japan that is located in Nashville and will hopefully allow me to bring back new ideas and new opportunities to our city as we continue to stay focused on economic development and job creation as a major priority.”

The Japanese government is covering the cost of the mayor’s trip.

13 Comments on this post:

By: NewYorker1 on 3/11/11 at 4:38

WOW! Trying to profit off the tsunami devastation already. Can the water recede first before the blood suckers move in to make money?

By: cannoneer2 on 3/12/11 at 10:45

He's just continuing the carpetbagger tradition...

By: bfra on 3/12/11 at 12:58

cannoneer2 - You got that right! He doesn't care what kind of turmoil Japan is in, his wants come first, over & above anybody or anything. With any luck, maybe he will stay in Japan.

By: yogiman on 3/12/11 at 7:13

The article says he is going as a guest. The question is; when was he invited? Before, or after the devastating tsunami?

If before, he should cancel. If after, he should determine if there is anything civilized nations can do.

By: Melstruck on 3/12/11 at 8:16

Read the article people..here is the second sentence....

"Following the news Friday morning of the historic earthquake in Japan, the mayor conferred with Nashville-based Japan Consul General Hiroshi Sato before proceeding with the trip, which had been scheduled for several weeks and will extend through March 20. "

By: Ingleweird on 3/13/11 at 10:25

Natural disasters happen; the world does not cease to spin. Nashville and Tennessee share important diplomatic and financial ties. Are all you naysayers simply wishing for the simpler antebellum times, when Tennessee could support itself through its dependence on slave labor?

By: Ingleweird on 3/13/11 at 10:28

S/h/b - Nashville and TN share important diplomatic and financial ties with Japan.

By: tomba1 on 3/14/11 at 2:24

If he doesn't get nuked while he's there, I hope the dude gets decontaminated before they let him back in the States ! The last thing we need is more contamination in our elected representatives !

By: budlight on 3/14/11 at 10:15

Polly-tics as usual. Hopefully he will take our condolences to the families who lost loved ones and have injuries and/or missing family. Our hearts and love go out to them.

By: govskeptic on 3/14/11 at 3:32

He may have an LP Executive with him, it appears
plywood is going------------Never mind, it's one of the
saddest tragedies I've watched in my lifetime! Blessings
to all of them.

By: yucchhii on 3/15/11 at 10:53

to New Yorker 1: That's why he is NOT mayor Dean...He's Mayor DINK!!!

By: yucchhii on 3/15/11 at 11:04

To Bfra: Your absolutely right...example: He says Nashville doesn't have the money to take care of the roads in the winter time, such as Black ice, snow etc. Even with all the accidents that are due to icy roads. I'm from Massachusettes, we get all the elements there as any of the northern states. I'd been in Nashville two and a half years now and seen maybe 4 plows in the winter time and NO, the plows weren't even touching the ground! Oh, and two trucks that are spraying liquid on the street. THAT'S IT! So, DINK says they don't have the money for the roads....OH ok, BUT....BUT...THEY HAVE PLENTY MONEY TO BUILD A CONVENTION CENTER THAT "NOBODY" WANTS "AND" an 800 room omni hotel next door and also NOW he wants to build a BASEBALL STADIUM for the nashville sounds.....BUT we don't the money for the roads! So, of course "HIS" interests come BEFORE the "TAXPAYERS"!!!

By: yucchhii on 3/15/11 at 11:05

To think that Mayor DINK has NO BODY to run against him for RE-ELECTION! Neither did Saddam Hussein!

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