Yasufumi Sakurai KYODO PHOTO

The 58-year-old Sakurai, who assumed the presidency the same day, is the first president who is not from the founding family since the Tokyo-based company was established in 1910.

Fujiya, one of Japan's oldest-established confectioners known for familiarizing the country with cakes, made the appointment in light of strong consumer criticism of its management practices built around the founder's family, which apparently led to sloppy product quality control, critics said.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 27, 2007
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