Keidanren to tap Toyota’s Watanabe

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe and Nippon Steel President Shoji Muneoka succeeded Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho and Nippon Steel Chairman Akio Mimura at the Japan Business Federation, also known as the Nippon Keidanren. Watanabe’s and Muneoka’s appointments were officially decided on at the end of January, with the duo taking their seats as vice chairmen in May 2009. With his promotion, Watanabe is expected to play a larger role in the broader business community in Japan, Toyota said. (January 10, 2009)