Is Nissan Japanese? Yes, and Here Is the Proof
Last Updated on October 23, 2026 by Ryan
Yes, Nissan is a Japanese company. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and was established there on December 26, 1933. Renault owns a large minority stake, and many Nissans are built outside Japan, but neither fact changes where the company is based.
Key takeaways
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- Nissan’s headquarters and registered head office are both in Yokohama, Japan.
- Renault reported holding 35.71% of Nissan in July 2025, but voting rights are capped at 15% under the 2023 agreement.
- About 87% of Nissan’s fiscal 2025 retail sales were outside Japan, which is why it is called a global business.
- Where a car was assembled does not decide the nationality of the company.
People ask “is Nissan a Japanese company” because they see Nissans built in the United States, Mexico or Britain, and hear about Renault owning a share. This page answers it with Nissan’s own company profile, its plant list and sales figures, and Renault’s earnings release.
Is Nissan Japanese? The Company Facts
Nissan describes itself in its company profile as Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., with its headquarters in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The same profile lists the facts below.
| Fact | Detail (Nissan company profile, data as of March 31, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Company name | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. |
| Headquarters | Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Registered head office | Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Date of establishment | December 26, 1933 |
| Employees | 120,079 (consolidated); 23,174 (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. alone) |
| Shareholders | 524,969 |
| President and CEO | Ivan Espinosa |
For the history of the name, see our guide to what Nissan means in Japanese.
Nissan’s History: Japanese From the Start
According to Nissan’s own history page, the story begins with the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works, founded in 1911 in the Hiroo district of Tokyo. Its DAT car was completed in 1914. The predecessor company, Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd., was established in Yokohama on December 26, 1933, and the company took the name Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in 1934. The name Nissan came from Nihon Sangyo Co., Ltd. More detail is in our article on what year Nissan was founded.
Does Renault Own Nissan?
No. Renault is a major shareholder, but Nissan is not a Renault subsidiary. In its July 30, 2025 earnings release Renault said its holding amounts to 35.71% of Nissan’s capital: 17.05% held directly and 18.66% held in a French trust. Renault sold part of its stake back to Nissan in a share buyback in 2023 and 2024, and a September 2024 Renault announcement says Nissan keeps its 15% stake in Renault and that voting rights for both companies remain capped at 15%.
In other words, Nissan and Renault are partners with cross-shareholdings. Our Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance case study explains how the partnership works.
Why Nissan Is Considered a Global Business
Nissan sells most of its cars outside its home market. In fiscal year 2025 it sold 3,151 thousand vehicles at retail, and Japan accounted for 399 thousand, or 12.7%. Nissan’s results presentation gives the regional figures.
| Region | FY2025 retail sales (thousand units) | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 1,291 | 41.0% |
| China | 653 | 20.7% |
| Others | 491 | 15.6% |
| Japan | 399 | 12.7% |
| Europe | 317 | 10.1% |
| Global total | 3,151 | 100% |
Production is spread out too. Nissan’s plant list names plants in Japan (Iwaki, Tochigi, Yokohama, Oppama, Shonan and Kyushu), the U.S. (Smyrna and Canton), the U.K. (Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK), Mexico (Aguascalientes and Cuernavaca), China, Thailand and India, plus partner plants in other countries. Building cars near their buyers is a business decision, not a change of nationality.
The Japanese footprint is also changing. Nissan announced in July 2025 that it will end vehicle production at its Oppama plant at the end of fiscal year 2027 and move that production to Nissan Motor Kyushu.
Is My Nissan a Japanese Car?
The brand is Japanese, but the car is built wherever its plant is. A Nissan assembled in Smyrna, Canton, the U.K. or Aguascalientes is still a Nissan, made by a Japanese company. If you want to know where your own car was built, enter its VIN in the NHTSA VIN decoder, which shows the plant and country reported by the manufacturer.
Nissan Nationality FAQ
Is Nissan a Japanese company?
Yes. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and its company profile gives December 26, 1933 as its date of establishment.
Is Nissan Japanese or British?
Nissan is a Japanese company. Nissan has a plant in the U.K., run by Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd., so some Nissans are built in Britain, but a car’s assembly plant does not change the nationality of the company that owns the brand.
What nationality is Nissan?
Japanese. The company was established in Japan, has its headquarters and registered head office in Yokohama, and is led by President and CEO Ivan Espinosa.
Does Renault own Nissan?
No. Renault holds a large minority stake. In its July 2025 earnings release Renault said its holding amounts to 35.71% of Nissan’s capital, with 17.05% held directly and 18.66% in a French trust. Under the 2023 agreement, voting rights for both companies are capped at 15%, and Nissan holds 15% of Renault.
Does Japan own Nissan?
Nissan’s company profile lists 524,969 shareholders. Renault reported holding 35.71% in July 2025. No source we read says a government owns Nissan.
Is Nissan a global business?
Yes. In fiscal year 2025, Japan was 12.7% of Nissan’s 3.15 million retail sales, so about 87% were sold elsewhere, and Nissan’s plant list names sites in Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Mexico, China, Thailand, India and other countries.
Is a Nissan built in the U.S. or Mexico still a Japanese car?
The brand and company are Japanese, but the vehicle is built where its plant is. To see the plant and country for a specific car, enter its VIN in NHTSA’s VIN decoder.
Sources
- Nissan Global: Company profile (data as of March 31, 2026)
- Nissan Global: Nissan’s beginnings
- Nissan Global: Manufacturing plants
- Nissan Global: Fiscal year 2025 financial results presentation
- Nissan Global Newsroom: Oppama plant announcement, July 15, 2025
- Automotive World: Nissan’s contribution to Renault Group’s Q2 2025 earnings
- Automotive World: Renault Group sold 195,473,600 Nissan shares, September 27, 2024
- NHTSA: VIN decoder
