May 24 2025 – Nissan Motor Co. is exploring the sale of its headquarters building in Yokohama as part of a broader financial restructuring strategy aimed at offsetting costs linked to its global operational overhaul, Nikkei reported. The automaker, which relocated its global base from Tokyo to the facility near Yokohama Station in 2009, plans to raise over ¥100 billion through the asset sale, funds earmarked for covering restructuring expenses.
Under the proposed “sale-and-leaseback” arrangement, Nissan would retain operational access to the building by signing a rental agreement with the buyer after completing the transaction. Real estate sources familiar with the matter estimate the property’s market value exceeds ¥100 billion, a figure that aligns with the company’s projected proceeds. The headquarters, which includes a dedicated automotive exhibition space, has been identified as a candidate for disposal in the fiscal year ending March 2025.
During a briefing for analysts on the 23rd, Nissan revealed it could record an additional ¥60 billion in restructuring charges for the fiscal year ending March 2026. CEO Ivan Espinosa emphasized that asset sales would remain a primary funding source for these expenses.
The company’s financial results for fiscal 2025 underscored the urgency of these measures: Nissan posted a staggering ¥670.8 billion net loss in its fiscal 2025 results—marking its first annual loss in four years after swinging from a ¥426.6 billion profit in the prior fiscal year to a staggering ¥670.8 billion loss in fiscal 2025—its third-largest deficit on record.
During an investor briefing on the 23rd, CEO Ivan Espinosa revealed plans to book an additional ¥60 billion in restructuring costs for the fiscal year ending March 2026, with asset sales identified as the primary funding mechanism. To reverse its fortunes, Nissan aims to slash combined fixed and variable costs by ¥500 billion by fiscal 2026, a move that will involve doubling planned job cuts to 20,000 globally and reducing its manufacturing footprint from 17 to 10 assembly plants worldwide.
In Japan, the automaker is evaluating closure of two facilities: the Oppama Plant in Yokosuka and the Shonan Plant in Hiratsuka, both located in Kanagawa Prefecture. Overseas, Nissan intends to shutter two plants in Mexico and withdraw from one facility each in South Africa, India, and Argentina. These moves are projected to trim annual production capacity by 1 million units, down to 2.5 million vehicles.
The restructuring underscores Nissan’s struggle with U.S. tariff pressures and escalating operational costs, with management prioritizing asset monetization and cost-cutting to stabilize its balance sheet.
