September 11, 2026
The Sony workers’ union Sendai branch and two other labor unions in Miyagi Prefecture on September 7 submitted to the prefectural government a written request demanding that Governor Murai Yoshihiro urge an ex-Sony subsidiary, Dexerials Corporation, to withdraw its plan to leave the prefecture.
Japanese Communist Party prefectural assemblypersons, Fujiwara Masuei, Amashita Miyuki, and Kaneta Motoru, joined in this action.
The electronic components manufacturer, which is located on the premises of Sony’s Sendai Technology Center in Miyagi’s Tagajo City, plans to relocate its business to Tochigi Prefecture, roughly 220 kilometers away from Miyagi.
In the submission, the head of the Sony workers’ union Sendai branch, Matsuda Takaaki, noted that Dexerials is steadily increasing its sales as shown by the sales development data. He said that the aim of the company’s pullout plan is to consolidate its business locations into Tochigi in order to further boost profitability.
Matsuda pointed out that it is difficult for homeowning Dexerials employees to be transferred to Tochigi, and criticized the company’s plan as a “profitable restructuring” tactic that pressures workers to accept early retirement. Stating that it is unacceptable for the company to sacrifice workers for the sake of profit, he demanded, “The prefectural government should instruct the company to continue its business at the current location.”
A representative of another union pointed out that Dexerials’ business relocation plan would also have a significant impact on local economies, adding that the prefectural authorities should press the company to fulfil its social responsibility.
Japanese Communist Party prefectural assemblypersons, Fujiwara Masuei, Amashita Miyuki, and Kaneta Motoru, joined in this action.
The electronic components manufacturer, which is located on the premises of Sony’s Sendai Technology Center in Miyagi’s Tagajo City, plans to relocate its business to Tochigi Prefecture, roughly 220 kilometers away from Miyagi.
In the submission, the head of the Sony workers’ union Sendai branch, Matsuda Takaaki, noted that Dexerials is steadily increasing its sales as shown by the sales development data. He said that the aim of the company’s pullout plan is to consolidate its business locations into Tochigi in order to further boost profitability.
Matsuda pointed out that it is difficult for homeowning Dexerials employees to be transferred to Tochigi, and criticized the company’s plan as a “profitable restructuring” tactic that pressures workers to accept early retirement. Stating that it is unacceptable for the company to sacrifice workers for the sake of profit, he demanded, “The prefectural government should instruct the company to continue its business at the current location.”
A representative of another union pointed out that Dexerials’ business relocation plan would also have a significant impact on local economies, adding that the prefectural authorities should press the company to fulfil its social responsibility.
