Yoshihide Munekuni, chairman of Honda Motor Co., is expected to become the head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Inc. in May, industry sources said Wednesday.
Munekuni will replace Hiroshi Okuda, chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., the sources said.
If appointed, Munekuni would be the first Honda executive to head JAMA. Toyota and Nissan Motor Co. have taken turns holding the chairmanship.
Honda decided Wednesday at a board meeting to recommend Munekuni as a candidate, the sources said.
His chairmanship is expected to be formally approved at JAMA's general convention in May, the sources said. Munekuni would serve a two-year term through May 2004.
Some Honda officials had recommended Honda President Hiroyuki Yoshino for the JAMA position. But the majority favored Munekuni due to his long-established connections with business leaders within and outside the industry, the sources said.