Uichiro Niwa (1939–2025) was a Japanese business executive and former ambassador to China who served as president and chairman of ITOCHU Corporation. Born in Aichi Prefecture, he graduated from Nagoya University’s Faculty of Law and joined ITOCHU in 1962, working mainly in its food business. He became president in 1998 and oversaw the disposal of approximately 400 billion yen in impaired assets the following year. The company reported its highest profit to that date for the fiscal year ended March 2001, and he became chairman in 2004. From 2010 to 2012, he served as Japan’s first ambassador to China appointed from the private sector. He subsequently worked to promote exchanges between the two countries as president of the Japan-China Friendship Association. Drawing on his experience in business and diplomacy, he wrote about work, reading, and relations between Japan and China. In “Hito wa Shigoto de Migakareru,” whose title means “People Are Refined Through Work,” he reflects on his upbringing, career at a trading company, and decisions during ITOCHU’s recovery. He examines how people develop through their work and the ethical responsibilities of business leaders. In “Shinu hodo Dokusho,” meaning “Read to Your Heart’s Content,” he argues that recognizing how much one does not know provides a starting point for intellectual curiosity. He discusses choosing books, reading them, and applying what they teach to daily life and work. Practical suggestions, such as marking significant passages and later copying them into a notebook, show how readers can absorb what they read and make it part of their own thinking.
