Taichi Minoura
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
A Nissan career man, he was Director and General Manager of General Affairs just before becoming President. He became President in 1947, when the company was still named Nissan Heavy Industries. In September 1944 the company had moved its head office from Yokohama to Nihonbashi, Tokyo to escape air raids and had just changed its name to Nissan Heavy Industries, and its plants remained under U.S. military requisition after the defeat. That a general affairs executive, rather than one from engineering or sales, became the first postwar president appears to reflect that sorting out the organization and assets took priority over restarting production.
Selection
In 1947 he became President of Nissan Heavy Industries. Although the head office had returned to Takaracho, Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama in January 1946, the U.S. military requisition of the plants continued for a long time, a stark contrast with Toyota, which suffered little air-raid damage and escaped requisition. The September 1945 GHQ memorandum had eased the ban on passenger car manufacturing, but the company was in no condition to restart production. The appointment of the head of general affairs appears to have sought someone who could handle negotiations under the occupation and internal coordination.
Initiatives
His tenure focused less on increasing production than on putting the company's name and capital framework into postwar shape. In August 1947, the year he took office, the first postwar Datsun came out of the Yoshiwara plant. But materials and food were severely short, production did not proceed as hoped, and the requisition of the plants continued. The company's name reverted from Nissan Heavy Industries to Nissan Motor in August 1949, and it listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in January 1951. Rebuilding mass production passed to his successor, Genshichi Asahara.
Career
Career
Nissan Motor
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| 1947 | President |
| 1949 | 社名を日産自動車へ復帰 (translation pending) |
| 1951 | Stepped down as President |
| 1951 | Stepped down as President |