'Management God' Who Revived JAL... Japan's Inamori Kyocera Honorary Chairman Passes Away

1995 Founded Kyoto Ceramic
Divided Organization into Small Groups to Maximize Team Efficiency
Grew into a Large Corporation with 'Amoeba Management'

Fourth Son-in-Law of Dr. Woo Jang-choon... Also Connected to Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kazuo Inamori, honorary chairman of Kyocera, a Japanese electronic components company, who was known as the "God of Management" for growing Kyocera into a global company, has passed away at the age of 90. On the 31st, Kyocera announced that honorary chairman Kazuo Inamori passed away on the 24th due to old age.

Born in 1932 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, Chairman Inamori graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Kagoshima University and founded Kyoto Ceramic (now Kyocera) in 1959 at the age of 27. He implemented "Amoeba Management," which divides the organization into small groups to maximize each team's efficiency, and grew Kyocera into a leading conglomerate manufacturing everything from office equipment to electronic components. The number of Kyocera employees, which was only 18 at the time of its founding, has now increased to about 80,000. Last year, the company recorded sales of 1.84 trillion yen (approximately 17.9 trillion KRW).

Inamori, who was on a path of success, also entered the telecommunications business in 1984. The long-distance telephone company he established, Daini Denden (now KDDI), is credited with breaking the dominance of NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone), which monopolized the Japanese telecommunications market.

In 2010, at the request of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, he took office as chairman of Japan Airlines (JAL), which was on the brink of bankruptcy, at the age of 78. Taking the unpaid chairman position, he applied "Amoeba Management" to JAL as well, changing the corporate culture so that executives paid close attention to cost reduction. He also drastically reduced the workforce from 48,000 to 32,000 and eliminated unprofitable routes.

Thanks to Chairman Inamori's efforts, JAL succeeded in re-listing within two and a half years, achieving a V-shaped recovery in a short period. Tadashi Yanai, president of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo, said, "He led the business world with strong leadership and made a great contribution to the development of the Japanese economy," adding, "He is a figure who will become increasingly prominent in the COVID-19 era." Yuzuru Takeuchi, chairman of the Komeito Party's Policy Research Council, also expressed his respect for Chairman Inamori, saying, "Inamori was a great businessperson who shaped an era."

He was also admired in society for his unique management philosophy that valued people. He stated, "Management is about taking care of the employees' families and lives," emphasizing that supporting employees' happiness both materially and spiritually was the goal of management.

Beyond management, Chairman Inamori had a significant impact on Japanese society. He is regarded as a key figure who helped the Democratic Party break the Liberal Democratic Party's dominance and take power in 2009. He supported the Democratic Party, saying, "For Japan to prosper, it must become a country where power can be alternated," and participated as a member of the "Administrative Reform Council" during the Hatoyama administration.

Ichiro Ozawa, a member of the House of Representatives from the Constitutional Democratic Party, expressed regret upon hearing of Chairman Inamori's passing, saying, "He provided much help and strong support during the merger process of the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party," and added, "I wanted to somehow change the government again and repay him while he was still healthy, so this is very unfortunate."

Chairman Inamori was also a business figure closely connected to Korea. He was the fourth son-in-law of Dr. Woo Jang-choon, who developed seedless watermelons. He also supported Kyoto Purple Sanga, a Japanese professional soccer team where player Park Ji-sung was active. His funeral has already been held, and a separate memorial service will be held later.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.