Father of Japan’s Famed ‘Konbini’ Industry Dies at 93
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Toshifumi Suzuki, the pioneering founder of Seven-Eleven Japan and arguably the father of Japan’s famed ‘konbini’ industry, has died at the age of 93.
According to Seven & i Holdings, Suzuki died of heart failure on 18 May.
A legacy that redefined the meaning of “convenience”
Born on 1 December 1932 in Nagano prefecture, Suzuki initially aspired to be a politician. He played an active role in student politics at Chuo University in Tokyo, where he studied economics and graduated in 1956.
He started his career at a publishing company before joining Japanese grocer and department store Ito-Yokado in 1963. There, he eventually climbed the ranks and became an executive in 1974, the year he introduced 7-Eleven…
