PRESS / Corporate Trends

Notice of Change in Shareholder and Board Members

Jun 20, 2017

Nifco Inc., (Representative Director: Toshiyuki Yamamoto, Headquarters: Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, the parent company of The Japan Times Ltd.,) today completed the transfer of 100% shares of The Japan Times, Ltd. to News2u Holdings, Inc. (Representative Director: Minako Kambara Suematsu, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).

It is with pleasure that we announce the appointment of three new board members at a shareholders’ meeting held on June 20.

It is our sincere desire to work for the further development of The Japan Times. We truly appreciate your support and continuous patronage of our newspaper.

Title	Name	Remarks
Chairperson & Representative Director	Ms. Minako Kambara Suematsu	New
President & Representative Director	Mr. Takeharu Tsutsumi
Director & Executive Editor	Mr. Hiroyasu Mizuno	New
Corporate Auditor	Mr. Kyoji Ozawa	New

Yukiko Ogasawara, Chairperson & Representative Director, Masaru Onodera, Director and Mr. Junji Honda, Corporate Auditor resigned from their positions, effective June 20th. Masaru Onodera is appointed as an Advisor.

Members of the New Board

Ms. Minako Kambara Suematsu (Chairperson & Representative Director)

Minako earned a master's degree from Gakushuin University Graduate School. In 1993, she founded KAPS Co., Ltd., predecessor of News2u Corporation, which provided web site creation and online marketing solutions. In 2001, Minako established News2u Corporation proposing Internet PR. In 2010, she also established Pensees, Inc. to offer web solutions inspired by Internet PR. In 2017, she became CEO of News2u Holdings, Inc. She is concurrently Director of Qnary Japan, Managing Director of Tsuneishi Holdings Corporation, Managing Director of Next Educational Environment Development Inc.(NEED), and Chairperson of Miroku no Sato Japanese Language School, International Institute of Culture.

Mr. Takeharu Tsutsumi (President & Representative Director)

Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and graduated from Hirosaki University, in Aomori Prefecture, with a BA in Marketing. After graduating in 1988, he entered the sales department of The Japan Times. He later worked in the company’s customer relationship management, human resources and Crossmedia departments. He became a director of the company in 2006 and in June 2012, he was appointed president.

Mr. Hiroyasu Mizuno (Director, Executive Editor)

After earning a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Waseda University, Hiroyasu joined Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (Nikkei BP). He has held positions such as reporter, editor, deputy-editor in chief at Nikkei Communication, Nikkei E-BIZ, Nikkei Business, and Nikkei Business Online. In 2008, he became Chief of the New York bureau and was based in New York until he moved to GLOBIS Corporation as Manager of the Public Relations Department in August 2011. He also studied as a researcher at CAES (Center for Advanced Engineering Study) at MIT from 1993 to 94 and earned an MBA from GLOBIS University.

Mr. Kyoji Ozawa (Corporate Auditor)

Kyoji joined News2u Corporation (now News2u Holdings, Inc.) in January 2006 and served as the manager of its Business Planning Department and Financial Accounting Section in the Administrative Department. In 2012, he became Director of Pensees, Inc. He assumed the position of Auditor of Pensees, Inc., and Director of News2u Holdings, Inc in 2015 and 2017 respectively.