Gov. Robert Bentley and other state officials are traveling to Japan on a trade mission.
The governor's office says the delegation will depart Sunday for a five-day visit in hopes of bringing more jobs to the state and strengthening ties with Japanese companies already operating in Alabama.
In Japan the group will meet with executives from companies including Honda and Toyota, which have large factories that employ thousands in Alabama.
More than 60 Japanese companies already do business in Alabama. Aside from car companies, the delegation is set to tour biomedical facilities and meet with executives from a Japanese chemical maker and pharmaceutical company.
Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield and an expert on Asian business development will join Bentley on the trip.