Keidanren Chairman Hiroaki Nakanishi, 75, has decided to step down on June 1, according to sources close to the lobby, which is also known as the Japan Business Federation.
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Chairman Masakazu Tokura, 70, is seen as the likely successor to the post.
Nakanishi, who is also chairman of Hitachi, Ltd., took office as Keidanren chairman in 2018. He was hospitalized in 2019 after falling ill and was diagnosed with lymphoma. Nakanishi had been working remotely from a hospital, where he was receiving treatment after relapsing last summer, when he was in his second term at the helm of the Keidanren.
In April this year, Nakanishi missed a Keidanren press conference because of the illness. Nakanishi's health is thought to be behind the unorthodox decision for a Keidanren chairman to step down in the middle of his term.
As chairman of Keidanren, Nakanishi stopped the formulation of rules regarding the new graduate recruitment calendar. He has also encouraged the appointment of female executives, and promoted the digitization of society.
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