No-deal Brexit would force Japanese investors to reassess 40-year bet on UK

Koji Tsuruoka, Japan's ambassador to the UK speaks during an interview at the embassy in London, Britain September 20, 2019. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

LONDON (Reuters) - Japanese companies and investors would be forced to reassess their four-decade bet on the United Kingdom if there is a disorderly exit from the European Union that shattered supply chains and cut off access to the bloc, Japan's ambassador said.

Japan, the world's third-largest economy, made the United Kingdom its favoured European destination for investment. The likes of Nissan <7201.T>, Toyota <7203.T> and Honda <7267.T> were encouraged by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to use the country as a launchpad into Europe.