2022 Person of the Year: Akio Mimura

Events

Dec 23

The ACCJ honors the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry honorary chairman for his enduring support of international businesses in Japan.

Photos by Miki Kawaguchi/LIFE.14

From left: ACCJ Executive Director Laura Younger, Akio Mimura, and ACCJ President Om Prakash

On November 9, 2023, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) recognized Akio Mimura as the 2022 ACCJ Person of the Year. He was chosen for his efforts to bring the Japanese and international business communities closer together during his nine years as chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).

The person of the year is normally honored in spring, but this year’s event was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During a special luncheon at The Place of Tokyo, the former chairman and president of Nippon Steel Corporation spoke about his long career.

The event began with a VIP session where ACCJ leaders greeted Mimura, after which ACCJ Executive Director Laura Younger welcomed guests and provided background about the award. ACCJ President Om Prakash delivered remarks and invited Mimura to the podium.

“I am truly honored to be nominated as the 2022 ACCJ Person of the Year, because 2022 was the year I concluded my 60-year business career, 51 years in the Nippon Steel Corporation and nine years as the chairman of the JCCI,” Mimura began.

“The last nine years have been especially worthwhile periods in my life,” he continued, noting that the coronavirus pandemic, during which he closed out his time as JCCI chairman, required action and guidance to protect the most vulnerable people and businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“I devoted my energy to three initiatives,” explained Mimura, who requested:

Balanced measures to contain Covid-19 that allow free economic activity
All possible measures from government to ensure that businesses survive
SMEs use the pandemic as a wake-up call and promote self-reformation

“Luckily, Covid-19 is finally coming to an end, and most SMEs were able to preserve their business continuation,” he said. “Overall unemployment in Japan was kept very low, at 2–3 percent. Our real challenge is to position this pandemic and the worldwide inflation as a turning point, and to rejuvenate the Japanese economy, which has been stagnant for the past quarter century.”

Mimura shared that another great memory is encountering the philosophy of Eiichi Shibusawa. Born in 1840, Shibusawa played a key part in business development during the Meiji Period (1868–1912) and is often referred to as the father of Japanese capitalism.

“He was involved in the founding of 481 companies and played an active role in the launch of 600 social contribution institutes. Can you believe it?”

The latter especially resonates with Mimura.

“In recent years, I have been very heartened to see the increasing global interest in [strategic development goals] and stakeholder capitalism,” he said. “However, I have personally felt dissatisfied with the fact that this interest often remains only on the surface, limited to general overviews or investor-related presentations without translating into concrete actions.”

Shibusawa, he notes, insisted earnestly that business leaders should pursue profit but also contribute to the public interest, namely by enriching society and making people happier.

“He was not only a person of action but also a visionary leader,” Mimura said. “We business leaders must somehow achieve the harmony of private and public interests in our own way.”