A RESOLUTION recognizing the long-standing and successful economic and cultural partnership between Japan and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

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A RESOLUTION recognizing the long -standing and successful economic and 1
cultural partnership between Japan and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 2
WHEREAS, Japan and the Commonwealth of Kentucky have shared a close 3
economic partnership since at least 1985 when former Governor Martha Layne Collins 4
began a series of trade missions to Japan. These missions resulted in the December 1985 5
announcement by the Toyota Motor Corpora tion to choose Scott County as the site for 6
Toyota's first wholly owned vehicle manufacturing plant in the United States; and 7
WHEREAS, other Japanese -owned businesses followed Toyota and began moving 8
to Kentucky. Today, there are more than 200 Japanese -owned manufacturing, service, 9
and technology facilities operating in Kentucky that employ over 45,000 Kentuckians 10
statewide, making Japan the Commonwealth's biggest foreign investor; and 11
WHEREAS, the presence of Japanese companies in Kentucky has also foster ed a 12
network of American-owned suppliers, logistics partners, and local small businesses that 13
provide high-quality components and raw materials used in the production process. This 14
"ripple effect" creates an additional economic benefit for the communities where 15
Japanese-owned businesses operate; and 16
WHEREAS, according to statistics from the United States Census Bureau, 17
Kentucky exports more than $1 billion in goods to Japan each year, including aircraft 18
engines and parts; agricultural products like bourbon, beef, pork, and thoroughbred 19
horses; pharmaceuticals; and machinery; and 20
WHEREAS, Kentucky annually imports more than $5 billion in Japanese products 21
ranging from blood fractions and immunological products to Japanese whisky, turbines, 22
and motor vehicle parts; and 23
WHEREAS, although separated by thousands of miles, Kentucky and Japan also 24
share close cultural ties; and 25
WHEREAS, among these cultural ties are a passion for producing world -renowned 26
distilled spirits, a mutual love of horse racing, and increase d people -to-people and 27
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educational exchanges; and 1
WHEREAS, a highlight of the people -to-people exchanges is the successful Sister 2
Cities program in which seven Kentucky and Japanese cities currently share sister city 3
relationships: Elizabethtown and Koori -Machi, Frankfort and Shimamoto, Georgetown 4
and Tahara, Lexington and Shinhidaka, Owensboro and Nissh in, Berea and Hokuto, and 5
Morgantown and Nanao, with more sister city relationships planned for the future; and 6
WHEREAS, the relationship between Japan and Kentucky also extends to 7
educational efforts, including multiple Kentucky universities that offer ro bust studies of 8
the Japanese language and the country's culture, literature, and history. In addition, 9
Japanese Saturday Schools are located in Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Highland 10
Heights, Kentucky, with the Highland Heights location serving Northern Ke ntucky and 11
the greater Cincinnati, Ohio, area, along with two more Saturday Schools on Kentucky's 12
borders in New Albany and Evansville, Indiana, where students receive supplementary 13
learning in Japanese language and culture; 14
NOW, THEREFORE, 15
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 16
Commonwealth of Kentucky: 17
Section 1. The members of this honorable body recognize the strong economic 18
and cultural ties between the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Japan, and express sincere 19
appreciation for our ongoing friendship. 20
Section 2. This honorabl e body encourages individual members to join the 21
Kentucky Japan Caucus to look for opportunities to further advance the economic and 22
trade relations between Kentucky and Japan. 23
Section 3. The Clerk of the House of Repres entatives is directed to transmit a 24
copy of this Resolution to Representative Vanessa Grossl for presentation to the 25
Honorable Shinji Watanabe, Consul -General of Japan and Honorary Chair of the 26
Japan/America Society of Kentucky 2026 Board of Directors. 27