Keidanren Chairman “Observation” that I wanted to convey from my sickbed May 28, 19:59

"Chairman Nakanishi of Keidanren will retire." --- On May 10, with the cancellation of the originally scheduled press conference, a report of his retirement ran through the business world.

Surprising voices were raised about his retirement after leaving his term of office for one year.


Chairman Nakanishi, who had already been hospitalized when I was in charge of Keidanren last August.

Although he rarely had the opportunity to meet face-to-face, he was an exceptional chairman who always responded online from the hospital room.


What happened in the process of deciding to retire suddenly while continuing to work due to illness?

Why did you hurry to appoint Masakazu Tokura as your successor?

I will report on the days of the struggles of Chairman Nakanishi.

(Kentaro Yamada, Reporter, Ministry of Economic Affairs)

3 years of "orthodox" chairman

Keidanren is composed of major Japanese companies, industry groups, and local economic groups.

The chairman, who is the top, sends out for all Japan beyond the framework of one company.

Its presence is likened to the top of the country and is called the "Prime Minister of the Business World."


The actions and achievements of successive chairmen are truly "prime ministers" that cannot be ignored by the political and government circles.

Mr. Toshiwo Doko, the 4th chairman who has contributed to the reconstruction of Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries (currently IHI) and Toshiba through thorough rationalization and in-house revitalization, and has a nickname such as "Arahoshi of the business world."

Many names come to mind, such as Mr. Hiroshi Okuda, the 10th chairman who had a unique pipe with VIPs and played a part in diplomacy, such as holding a confidential meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Hiroaki Nakanishi, who took office in May 2018, is the 14th chairman.

As the head of Hitachi, Ltd., he demonstrated his ability to rebuild a company that had fallen into the largest deficit ever.

Hitachi has also been said to have a certain distance in business activities in the electrical industry.

However, the management of Toshiba and TEPCO, which are "prestigious in the business world," has fluctuated, and Toyota has shifted its focus to activities as a representative of the automobile industry.

Expectations were high for the birth of the chairman, who was born in Japan's leading electrical equipment manufacturer and is the most talked-about person in the business world.



From the beginning, Mr. Nakanishi decided to abolish the rules for job hunting, called for a review of the "Japanese-style employment system" such as new graduate recruitment and lifetime employment, and cast a stone on public opinion.

He actively disseminated proposals for energy policy and the realization of a digital society, and was able to act to meet the expectations of those around him.

Hospital room becomes office

However, Mr. Nakanishi's chairmanship was also a day of fighting illness.



In May 2019, he was ill and was hospitalized.

He revealed that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma.

He was discharged from the hospital in September and returned to work, but was readmitted in July 2020.

Announced that the lymphoma had recurred.



Mr. Nakanishi did not throw out the chairmanship.

The press conference came online from the hospital room.

He continued to attend the government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy online as a member.



In this year's interview, he said, "I'm aware that I'm bothering you, but I definitely want to get it back later."

In March, I responded to an independent interview with NHK online from the hospital room.

Regarding the achievement of the government's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to virtually zero by 2050, he said, "If we do not aim for decarbonization, the significance of existence in the business world has come to the point of being questioned." He showed a strong desire to wear it.

With the expansion of the new corona, online support is becoming more commonplace.

Even so, it is extremely unusual for the "Prime Minister of the Business World" to continue his duties online from the hospital room, and the attitude of continuing to respond to heavy responsibilities has been conveyed.



At a regular press conference on April 5, he said about his medical condition, "I would normally be discharged from the hospital, but with the current state of the new corona, I am in trouble because my doctor told me that I have to watch a little more." He seemed to want to come back.



"I'm about to leave the hospital." --- Everyone felt that way, but after this, Mr. Nakanishi disappeared from the official venue.

Lymphoma reoccurs or retires from Mr. Nakanishi

Mr. Nakanishi was absent from government meetings one after another.

Attendance at the press conference was also postponed.



Even after the government's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 46% from 2013 levels toward 2030 was set on April 22, there was no opportunity to interview Mr. Nakanishi.

It was an unexpected silence in the climate change countermeasures and energy problems that we have been particular about.

The chairman and his colleagues explained that "the side effects of the treatment are strong," but some member companies and the government have begun to worry that "the condition is serious."



The expectations of those around me were not disappointing.

There was a big change in Mr. Nakanishi's medical condition.

Approximately one week after the press conference, on the morning of April 13, Mr. Nakanishi stated that he would like to resign as Chairman of Keidanren.



A few days earlier, my doctor had diagnosed that the lymphoma might have recurred.



To discharge just before treatment advances, but Nakanishi, who had wanted to fulfill the term of office of the remaining one-year, again and again onset of lymphoma, which means that the prospect of the return is no longer stand.



"I was very shocked that it could have happened again," said one person.

Mr. Nakanishi decided to retire at the last minute as the Keidanren's annual general meeting on June 1 was approaching in order to smoothly take over his duties to his successor.

He was not seen at the press conference announcing his retirement.

Secretary-General Masakazu Kubota, the top secretary-general of Keidanren, said that he had spoken to Mr. Nakanishi on the phone, saying, "I couldn't say anything when I saw the chairman's heart."

Mr. Nakanishi has not announced any comments regarding his retirement at this time.

It seems that silence shows that regret.

To decarbonize, the new chairman also from the manufacturing industry

The term of office of Keidanren Chairman is 2 terms and 4 years.

Usually, in the fourth year, which is the last year, the selection of a successor chairman will begin in earnest.

The candidates for chairman to succeed Mr. Nakanishi, who had one year left, have not yet been narrowed down.



Keidanren, which received instructions from Mr. Nakanishi to select a successor, immediately started the selection of personnel.



The selection criteria for the Keidanren chairman are not clearly stated, but the following persons are considered appropriate.

1 Experience of top management such as president and chairman.



2 I have served as Vice Chairman of Keidanren.



3 It is the top of the manufacturing industry.

Most of the chairmen are from the manufacturing industry, except for some, such as Mr. Gaishi Hiraiwa (7th chairman) from TEPCO.

It seems that Mr. Nakanishi was originally trying to select the next chairman candidate, including finance and trading companies, without being bound by such customs.

However, there are urgent challenges in the business world.

Mr. Nakanishi also has a strong feeling for "realizing a carbon-free society."

A wide range of industries, including electricity, steel, automobiles, and electrical machinery, need to work together to reduce greenhouse gases.

The next chairman is facing "high hurdles" in which the interests of the industry are entwined, such as the cost burden required for technological innovation and energy policy including the positioning of nuclear power plants.

Under these circumstances, it is appropriate to have a person from the manufacturing industry who knows the actual situation of the industry in order to unite the business world.

Then, from the chemical industry working on environmental measures, Sumitomo Chemical's Chairman Masakazu Tokura, who has experience as Vice Chairman of Keidanren, was struck by a white arrow.

April 15th, two days after being asked to retire by Mr. Nakanishi.

Keidanren asks Mr. Tokura to take office as chairman.

Mr. Tokura accepted his appointment on the 20th.

Sumitomo Chemical will send out the second prime minister of the business world since Hiromasa Yonekura, who served as chairman of Keidanren for four years from 2010.

At the press conference on May 10, when he received the appointment of the new chairman, Mr. Tokura said, "I have decided that there is" righteousness "in receiving the request. Stated.

The future business world

I have been interviewing Mr. Nakanishi online for the past year.

The appearance of continuing to work from the hospital room made me feel a sense of crisis about the future of the Japanese economy and a feeling of obsession as the prime minister of the business world.

Unfortunately, Mr. Nakanishi showed that he could do his job online well.

And the work that the new chairman Tokura inherited as the new "Prime Minister of the Business World" is very heavy.

I would like to tell you what kind of leadership you will exert every day.


Kentaro Yamada,

Reporter, Ministry of Economic Affairs


Joined in 2002

After being in charge of


automobile and electrical equipment manufacturers

, he

was in charge

of the

business world of

three economic organizations.