Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz headed to Tokyo and Seoul to promote business partnerships

Gov. Tim Walz and governors from across the Midwest are headed to Japan in September to talk about international economic partnerships.

Walz, along with staff from the state's Minnesota Trade Office, will be in Tokyo from Sept. 7 through Sept. 10 for the Midwest U.S. Japan Association Conference. Governors from Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin will also attend, according to Walz's office.

"Minnesota is committed to unleashing economic opportunities across the globe," Walz said in a statement. "I look forward to traveling to Tokyo and Seoul and making the case directly to international decision-makers that Minnesota is a great place to do business."

There are 35 companies that are based in Japan that also operate in Minnesota, according the Walz administration. The governor also announced that after the Japan visit he will spend a day in Seoul, South Korea, where he will be highlighting the state's history with the country and future partnerships.

The governor's office could not immediately provide an estimate of the trip cost or how much state money would be used.