Nissan mastermind dies

Takashi Ishihara, a former president of Nissan Motor Company who helped turn the Japanese carmaker into a global player, has died of heart failure, his family said in Tokyo.

He was 91.

Ishihara launched an aggressive export strategy after being appointed head of Nissan’s export operations in 1957 – a time when Japanese products were viewed as cheap and low-quality.

Ishihara stood at Nissan’s helm from 1977 to 1985 and helped establish the company’s first plants overseas, in countries including the United States and Britain.

It was a move toward multinational operations that has been followed by Japan’s major manufacturers.