The Japanese presence in Dallas is at an all-time high, according to Honorary Consul of Japan in Dallas Dr. Hisashi Shichijo told GMI POST.
So far this year, there were more than 280 Japanese companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, up by 12% from the previous year; while the number of Japanese people in Dallas (at 4,175 as of 2022) has been growing between 7-8% per year.
“At this rate, Dallas is set to surpass Houston as having the largest Japanese community in Texas within two years,” Shichijo said.
The honorary consul attributed this surge to the affordable housing costs, the abundance of highly skilled workers, the top-quality schools and universities, and the easy access to well-connected international airports in Dallas/Fort Worth, aside from the state’s pro-business environment and tax regulations
“The success stories of Japanese companies in Dallas have also helped attract more Japanese businesses to the region by convincing them that they too can find success in Dallas,” Shichijo said.
Among the multinational Japanese companies that chose Dallas for their headquarters are Toyota, Ito En, NEC, and Fujitsu.
Shichijo reiterated his commitment to continue strengthening the Japan-Texas relationship and promoting more collaborations between the two sides.
Appointed to the post in 2020, Shichijo was born and grew up in Kagawa, Japan, but has lived in Dallas for more than 40 years. Now a U.S. citizen, he is a research professor at the University of Texas at Dallas and also involved in various Japanese associations in the state, such as the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth and the Dallas Japanese Association.
