Yotaro Kobayashi

Who is Yotaro Kobayashi?

Yotaro Kobayashi, born April 1933 in England, is former chairman of the Fuji Xerox company, a joint venture between Fujifilm and Xerox. He serves Pacific Asia chairman of the Trilateral Commission.

He was educated at Keio University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1956 and 1958 respectively. His father, Setsutaro Kobayashi, was the third president of Fujifilm and the first president of the Fuji Xerox company. He was Chair of the Board of the International University of Japan, succeeding founder Sohei Nakayama, formerly of the Industrial Bank of Japan. He is the President of Aspen Japan.

In September, 2004, Kobayashi, who is the Chief Japanese Committee Member of the First China-Japan Friendship 21st Century Committee, criticized Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi over his repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which had caused anger in the People's Republic of China as well as in Korea. Subsequently, Molotov cocktails were thrown into the grounds of Kobayashi's home in Meguro, Tokyo, an act police suspect was carried out by nationalist groups who are hostile to his views.