Former Nissan Chairman Dies at 91

From correspondents in Tokyo

01jan04

TAKASHI Ishihara, a former president of Nissan Motor Co. who helped turn the Japanese carmaker into a global player, has died of heart failure, his family said today. He was 91.

Ishihara died yesterday morning at a Tokyo hospital, said his son, Yoshiharu. No date had yet been set for a funeral.

Ishihara launched an aggressive export strategy after being appointed head of Nissan's export operations in 1957 - a time when Japanese products were viewed as cheap and low-quality.

Seven years later, Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to rank among the top 10 in US car imports.

Ishihara stood at Nissan's helm from 1977 to 1985 and helped establish the company's first plants overseas, in countries including the United States and Britain. It was a move toward multinational operations that has been followed by Japan's major manufacturers.

He stepped down in 1985 to become chairman as Nissan began to struggle through a difficult period of overseas losses and declines in its domestic market share.

Ishihara, born on March 3, 1912, is survived by two children and his wife, Shizuko.