The Nissan Motor Company, Ltd., more popularly known as Nissan, is one of the most prolific and largest carmakers in the world. Headquartered in Japan, it now has main offices in the Chuo district of Tokyo. Aside from the Nissan brand, it also carries the luxury brand Infiniti. Nissan started out as Datsun, a sort of acronym for its founders Kenjiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama, and Meitaro Takeuchi (note the first letters of the last name).

The name Nissan was first used in 1930, with Yoshisuke Aikawa shortening the name Nippon Sangyo for the holding company’s stock market listing. Nowadays, Nissan is a renowned producer of cars and trucks. Noteworthy is the production of famous sports cars by Nissan, such as the Datsun Fairlady, the Z-car, and the Roadsters. Plans for an electronic car are scheduled to be finished by 2010. Aside from 13 plants and facilities in Japan, it also has plants in Asia (Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Philippines, Pakistan, Thailand, Taiwan), Europe (UK and Spain,) Africa (Egypt and South Africa), and the Americas (Brazil, Mexico, and 3 plants in the USA). Plants in India and Russia are due to be finished in 2010.