Kanda, on Japan's southern coast, has grown with an auto plant that ships half of its vehicles to the United States.
Kanda, a small town surrounded by mountains on Japan’s southeastern coast, is hundreds of miles from any major center of business or politics. But lately, the only thing on its residents’ minds is President Trump.
In restaurants and bars and around Kanda's small city office, people are nervously discussing the 25 percent tariff he has announced on U.S. car imports.
The cause for concern is hard to miss: the city's lifeblood is a massive car plant owned by Japan's Nissan Motor.
On a plot of land two-thirds the size of Central Park, more than 4,000 Nissan assembly line workers produce hundreds of thousands of cars each year. Half of them are sold in the United States.
“We don't really know what to do about the tariffs here,” said Hironori Beppu, an adviser to the Kanda Chamber of Commerce. “Without Nissan, Kanda's financial situation would be really dire,” Mr. Beppu said.
Much remains unclear about Mr. Trump’s auto tariffs, which went into effect Thursday. Most importantly, how long will they last? Or will the Trump administration be willing to negotiate?
