Seven & i Holdings Honorary Chairman Masatoshi Ito Dies

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:35 JST, March 13, 2023

Masatoshi Ito, effective founder and honorary chairman of Seven & i Holdings Co., passed away on March 10 at the age of 98.

Upon university graduation, he entered Yokado Yohinten, which was run by his older brother. After his brother’s death, he established Yokado (now Ito-Yokado Co.) using Yokado Yohinten as a foundation and became its president, a position he held until 1992. He transformed the company into Japan’s largest supermarket chain, mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

His achievement led to the establishment of Seven & i Holdings Co., which owns Ito-Yokado, Seven-Eleven Japan Co. and other companies.