Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno | Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images ‘Please, no no-deal Brexit,’ says Japanese foreign minister Tarō Kōno said no deal would have a ‘very negative’ impact on Japanese companies in the UK.

A no-deal Brexit would have a "very negative impact" on Japanese companies in the U.K., warned Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno Thursday on the BBC's Today program.

"We are very concerned with this no-deal Brexit," he said, adding that "anything could happen," including a drop in foreign investment. There are over 1000 Japanese companies operating in the U.K. employing around 160,000 workers. His message to his U.K counterparts has been consistent, he said: "Please, no no-deal Brexit."

For Japanese auto-manufacturers based in the U.K., sourcing parts from continental Europe is currently a smooth process, he said. But this could change "if they have to go through customs inspections physically."

The foreign minister also dismissed the idea that a free trade deal could be negotiated between Japan and the U.K. by October 31. "There's going to be some kind of gap between when the U.K. leaves the EU and when we can ratify some kind of trade deal," he said, noting that during this period the two countries would revert to WTO rules.

He reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining a good political and economic relationship with the U.K., and wished both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt well in the upcoming U.K. Conservative Party leadership context. "Both are very good friends of mine," he said.