Yomiuri’s Oikawa Appointed Japan National Press Club Chairman; Term Lasts Until May 2027

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:43 JST, May 30, 2025

Shoichi Oikawa, chairman of the board and representative director of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, was appointed as chairman of the Japan National Press Club on Thursday.

Oikawa, who also serves as senior deputy editor-in-chief of the Yomiuri group and is in charge of international operations, as well as editor-in-chief of The Japan News, was selected at a general meeting and board meeting held on the day. Oikawa, 83, succeeds Hirotomo Maeda, executive editor at The Mainichi Newspapers Co. Oikawa’s term will continue into May 2027.

Tsukasa Arita, managing editor at Kyodo News, was elected to be the club’s deputy chairman, and NHK Senior Director Seiki Hara was reelected as deputy chairman.

Shingo Egi was reappointed as the club’s managing director.

The press club was established in 1969 and is a nonprofit organization whose members include journalists, newspapers, news agencies and broadcasters. The club arranges events such as press conferences by foreign guest speakers and party leader debates when national elections are held.