THE JAPAN NEWS



 

Hiroaki Nakanishi, former chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, died at the age of 75 on Sunday, it was learned Thursday.
Nakanishi resigned as head of the largest Japanese business group on June 1 to concentrate on treatment for his illness after a possible relapse of his lymphoma was found in April.

He was appointed as the 14th Keidanren chairman in May 2018. In May 2019, however, he was hospitalized for lymphoma. After returning to duty in September that year, he was hospitalized again in July 2020.

While staying at the hospital before stepping down from the Keidanren post, Nakanishi performed his duties online.

During his tenure, Nakanishi tackled issues including reform on the recruitment of new graduates. He declared that Keidanren would no longer set recruitment guidelines for member companies.

Nakanishi was the first Keidanren chairman hailing from major Japanese electronics and machinery maker Hitachi Ltd. .

He joined Hitachi after graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1970. After serving as head of a Hitachi subsidiary, he returned to the parent company in 2009, in the aftermath of the financial crisis triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. He then became Hitachi president in 2010.