Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent trip to Japan is expected to have cost $216,000, according to a document obtained by Michigan Capitol Confidential through a records request. The governor’s trip to Japan ended up being part of a three-country tour that also included visits to Singapore and Germany.
When Whitmer landed in Tokyo, she immediately got to work making sushi before staying overnight at the Prince Sakura Tower. She met with representatives of Astemo, an automotive supplier, and toured the Astemo plant.
The second-term governor also met with members of the Japan External Trade Organization, a government economic development agency; HITACHI, JR Automation, XEX Nihonbashi, Subaru, Tenabe Tech, Nissan, Nippon Steel and Keidanren.
She took meetings with the president of Toyota and the chairman of the Japan Automotive Products Association. The governor also toured Daifuku’s facility and had dinner with Gov. Taizo Mikazuki of the Shiga prefecture as well as the mayor of Hino, a city in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Whitmer also met with Honda and the Midwest Japan Association.
After visiting the Land of the Rising Sun, Whitmer traveled to Singapore. “Singapore is one of the most dynamic economies in the world, a global hub for finance, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy,” Whitmer said in a statement. “By making this first-of-its-kind visit, we are opening the door for new trade opportunities, building connections with business leaders, and showing that Michigan is a reliable and innovative partner for the future. At the same time, we will deepen our decades-long relationship with Japan, reinforcing our partnerships in key shared industries. Whether tariffs shift or global markets fluctuate, Michigan remains open for business and eager to collaborate.”
The governor’s trip to Japan included an official delegation and an external delegation of local government officials and others from Michigan. The $216,000 cost is only for members of the official delegation, which included:
Gov. Whitmer
Principal Deputy Chief of Staff Zach Pohl
Deputy of Scheduling Terry Krinvic
Deputy Chief Communications Officer Chai Karve
Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Quentin Messer Jr.
Chief Innovation and Ecosystem Officer Ben Marchionna
Director of Greater Asia Investment Promotion Brian Connors
Business Development Advisor Amanda Eisbrenner
Assistant Chief of Protocal Maci Gilmore
Senior Japanese Business Advisor John Clark.
The external delegation consisted of:
Executive Director of the Michigan Economic Development Foundation Rebecca Bahar-Cook
University of Michigan Associate Vice president for Research Kelly Sexton
AISIN World Corp. Executive Vice President Shin Sasaki
AISIN World Corp. Vice President of Corporate Communications Joe Rohatynski
Toyota North America Vice President of Integrated Vehicle Systems Nick Sitarski
Battle Creek Mayor John Behnke
Battle Creek Unlimited President and CEO Joe Sobieralski
Battle Creek Unlimited Vice President of Attraction Robert Corder
Ken Masumoto, Japan advisor for Battle Creek Unlimited
Battle Creek Commissioner Jim Lance
Oakland County Executive David Coulter
Oakland County Business Development Manager Michael Abdallah
Detroit Regional Partnerships Managing Vice President of Business Development Alan Weber
DENSO International America Vice President of Corporate Communications Robert Townsend
Lakeshore Advantage President Jennifer Owens
JETRO Chicago Special Advisor Ralph Inforzato
Novi Mayor Justin Fischer
Hajime Kishimori, Consul General of Japan in Detroit
University of Michigan Senior Director of International Giving and Engagement Eun Ja Yu
The figure of $216,000 for the official delegation does not include expenses for Whitmer’s subsequent trips to Singapore and Germany. Michigan Capitol Confidential has requested records for those trips. It also has requested records from Novi, Oakland County and Battle Creek to see which entity paid for expenses incurred by their members of the external delegation.
Two people representing Novi attended the Midwest U.S.–Japan Association Conference, Sheryl Walsh, Novi’s director of community relations, told CapCon in an email.
“This conference serves as a valuable forum for strengthening economic and cultural ties between the Midwest and Japan. While in Japan, they also met with Japanese government leaders, including the Governor of Shiga Prefecture and members of the legislature, to discuss opportunities for partnership. In addition, they visited several Japanese companies with headquarters in Novi and initiated Sister City discussions with Nagahama, Japan,” Walsh wrote.
The city of Novi paid all associated trip costs for its two employees, including airfare, lodging, and the conference registration fee, Walsh added.
“These efforts are directly tied to supporting Novi’s residents and businesses,” Walsh wrote. “Novi is home to the largest Japanese population in Michigan, and Japanese investment plays a critical role in our local economy. Building and maintaining these relationships at both the business and government levels ensures continued economic development, cultural exchange, and community enrichment.”
The cost breakdown is below. The money came from the Michigan Economic Development Foundation, a nonprofit that helps fund the MEDC.
Airfare: $85,000
Ground transportation, trains: $70,000
English guides, interpreters: $30,000
Meals: $25,000
University of Michigan alumni event: $6,000
International trips are a critical part of the Make it in Michigan economic development strategy, Danielle Emerson, public relations manager at the MEDC, told CapCon in an email.
“Building relationships with international companies keeps Michigan top of mind as an ideal place for companies to do business as they look to the United States for potential investment opportunities,” Emerson wrote.
This year, Whitmer has traveled to
News Story
EDIT
Records reveal who traveled with Whitmer to Australia — and what it cost
By Scott McClallen | July 24, 2025
Gov. Whitmer’s office
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spent $219,622 on her 11-day June 2025 trip to Australia, according to documents obtained through a records request.
The 11-day mission, billed as an effort to promote mobility and infrastructure innovation, included 14 people who traveled on the 9,473-mile trip, records obtained from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said.
Chief of Staff JoAnne Huls
Deputy Director of Scheduling Raena Davis
Deputy Director of Advance Madison Ruffin
MEDC CEO Quentin Messer Jr.
Office of Future Mobility and Electrification Chief Mobility Officer Justine Johnson
MEDC Strategic Attraction Director and Cyber Advisor Sarah Tennant
MEDC Assistant Chief of Protocol Maci Gimore
Delta Air Lines Director of State and Local government affairs Sarah Gonzales
Michigan Department of Transportation Director Brad Wieferich
MDOT Manager of connected and automated vehicles and electrification Michele Mueller
Michigan Adjutant General Paul D. Rogers
University of Michigan College of Engineering Dean Karen Thole
Michigan State University College of Engineering Dean Ionnis Papapolymerou
The group stayed at the Glenmore Hotel, ate at the Grana Restaurant, the Langham Hotel, and rode the SkyRail. They ate at the Queen’s Terrace Café and visited the Stryker South Pacific Headquarters.
During that trip, Whitmer claimed to have created nearly 38,000 auto jobs since 2019, Michigan Capitol Confidential has reported.
“In Michigan, mobility and innovation are in our DNA,” Whitmer said. “We put the world on wheels, and now we’re leading the future too. Under this administration, Michigan has secured nearly 38,000 good-paying auto jobs and we are still home to more mobility R&D than any other state in the USA.”
Michigan is down 9,000 auto and part manufacturing jobs over her term, a 5.6% decrease, James Hohman, the director of Fiscal Policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, told CapCon.
“She is counting jobs from announcements, and the state has a terrible record of converting announcements into actual jobs,” Hohman wrote.
International missions are critical for the Make it in Michigan economic development strategy, Otie McKinley, the media and communications manager at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation told CapCon in an email.
“Building relationships with international companies keeps Michigan top of mind as an ideal place for companies to do business as they look to the United States for potential investment opportunities.”
This year, Whitmer spent $175,000 on her trip to the United Arab Emirates in February, $204,000 on a March trip to the UK, and $219,000 on a June trip to Australia.
In 2023, Whitmer visited Japan and spent $285,000.
AloJapan.com