by After an eight-year break, the Japan-Texas Economic Summit will return to the state next year and be held in Arlington.
To strengthen cross-border ties in the face of global trade shifts and economic realignment, top leaders from Texas and Japan will convene for a three-day summit on May 11–13, 2026, which will bring together business, investment, and government leaders. The Live! by Loews hotel in Arlington, located at 600 E. Randol Mill Road, will host the event.
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It’s not just a conference. According to Sachi Hamai, chair of the board of directors of the U.S.-Japan Council, it’s a strategic signal. The Japan-Texas Economic Summit demonstrates a shared commitment to partnership through commercial vision, policy alignment, and genuine investment as bilateral trade discussions heat up.
Together with the city of Arlington and Arlington Economic Development Corp. as title sponsors and ABeam Consulting as an organizing sponsor, USJC will organize the summit. According to USJC, the 2026 summit will bring back a historic effort that was started in 2018 and will be a yearly signature event for enhancing economic connections between the United States and Japan.
According to the organizers, the event will be held in the context of changing trade dynamics between the United States and Japan as well as increasing regional agreement on industrial policy and supply chain resilience.
According to Audrey Yamamoto, president and CEO of the U.S.-Japan Council, “we are fortunate to have notable USJC leaders who live in Texas, such as Donna Cole, Mark Okada, and Steve Sakanashi.” They are crafting an agenda that will be widely accepted and emphasize Texas’ crucial role in promoting U.S.-Japan relations thanks to their leadership, in-state connections, and understanding of the local economy.
According to USJC, subnational leaders such as governors, mayors, representatives of government agencies, and senior business executives will attend the summit.
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More than 400 leaders from business and government attended the inaugural Japan-Texas Economic Summit, which was held in Houston in 2018, according to USJC.
Since then, Texas has become one of the fastest-growing states for foreign direct investment and a top state for Japanese-affiliated businesses, according to USJC.
According to USJC, employment by Japanese companies in Texas more than doubled between 2011 and 2021, reaching over 75,000 jobs and significantly above the national average.
According to Sakanashi, chair of the Japan-Texas Economic Summit, the 2018 summit and Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Statement of Mutual Cooperation with Governor Hideaki Ohmura of Aichi Prefecture last year demonstrate a strong desire to further Japan-Texas connections. Our two economies will continue to come together to plan for the future at the 2026 summit, which will build on that momentum.
In order to anchor the summit in DFW, which is predicted to grow into the third-largest metropolitan area in the US by the 2030s, Arlington will host the event for three years in a row, according to USJC.
According to USJC, the 2026 summit’s schedule will include:
- Energy transition and resilient supply chains.
- Advanced manufacturing and next-gen mobility.
- Semiconductors, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
- Biotech, health care 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 regarded as a leading organization committed to enhancing U.S.-Japan ties through interpersonal relationships.
Lance Murray is an Arlington Report freelancer who writes about business.
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