Image: U.S.-Japan Council
For the first time since 2018, the Japan-Texas Economic Summit will return for a three-day event that will assemble business, investment, and political leaders May 11-13, 2026, at Live! by Loews Hotel in Arlington.
“We’re fortunate to have prominent USJC leaders such as Donna Cole, Mark Okada, and Steve Sakanashi who reside in Texas,” Audrey Yamamoto, president and CEO of the U.S.-Japan Council, said in a statement. “Their leadership, in-state networks, and knowledge of the local economy is shaping an agenda that will resonate broadly and highlight Texas’s pivotal role in advancing U.S.-Japan relations.”
Hosted in partnership with title sponsors the city of Arlington and Arlington Economic Development Corp.—and ABeam Consulting as organizing sponsor—the 2026 Summit revives a landmark initiative that was first launched in 2018.
USJC said that Arlington will serve as host city for three consecutive years, anchoring the summit in Dallas-Fort Worth.
“This is more than a conference. It’s a strategic signal,” said Sachi Hamai, chair of the U.S.-Japan Council’s board of directors. “As bilateral trade discussions intensify, the Japan-Texas Economic Summit reflects a shared commitment to partnership through commercial vision, policy alignment, and real investment.”
USJC said the summit will take place against the backdrop of U.S.-Japan trade dynamics that are still evolving, and a growing regional alignment on supply chain resilience and industrial policy.
The event will attract subnational leaders, including mayors, governors, government agency officials, and top corporate executives, USJC said.
Strengthening Japan-Texas ties
The first Japan-Texas Economic Summit, hosted in 2018 in Houston, assembled more than 400 leaders across industry and government.
In the years since then, Texas has emerged as “a top state for Japanese-affiliated companies” and one of the fastest-growing destinations for foreign direct investment, USJC said.
Between 2011 and 2021, USJC said that employment in Texas by Japanese firms has more than doubled, reaching more than 75,000 jobs.
“The 2018 Summit, combined with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Statement of Mutual Cooperation with Governor of Aichi Prefecture, Hideaki Ohmura, last year, reveals a deep appetite to strengthen Japan-Texas ties,” Sakanashi, chair of the Japan-Texas Economic Summit, said in a statement. “The 2026 Summit will build on that momentum and become the permanent gathering point for our two economies to plan for the future.”
USJC said that programming for the 2026 Summit will include:
Energy transition and resilient supply chains
Advanced manufacturing and next-gen mobility
Semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity
Biotech, healthcare innovation, and the longevity economy
Cross-border capital formation and the rise of the Texas Stock Exchange
Cultural diplomacy in sports, food, entertainment, and education
Founded by Japanese Americans, the U.S. Japan Council is considered a premier organization dedicated to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations through people-to-people connections, USJC said.
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AloJapan.com