Nissan Motor has said it will stop producing vehicles at its Oppama plant in Japan by March 2028.

The firm plans to transfer operations to its factory in the southern region of Fukuoka as part of a global restructuring plan to reduce capacity.

CEO Ivan Espinosa has introduced plans aimed at turning around the embattled automaker.

This includes reducing production capacity to 2.5 million vehicles from 3.5 million and manufacturing sites to 10 from 17.

"Today, Nissan made a tough but necessary decision.

"It wasn't easy - for me or for the company - but I believe it's a vital step toward overcoming our current challenges and building a sustainable future," Espinosa said in a statement.

The firm said other facilities and functions in the district such as the Nissan Research Center and a crash-test facility, will be unaffected

Nissan said it would explore "a wide range of options" for the future use of the Oppama plant. Costs related to the transfer of production to Nissan Motor Kyushu will be disclosed along with first-quarter financial results, it said.

When the Oppama factory first opened in 1961, it was one of Japan's first large-scale auto factories and a symbol of Nissan's - and Japan's - global ambitions.

The plant employs 3,900 workers and has produced more than 17.8 million vehicles to date.