Departures of note

Atsushi Kojima was a Japanese entrepreneur who founded the GANKO restaurant chain, one of Japan's largest sushi and Japanese dining groups. Born in Kamitonda, Wakayama Prefecture, he began helping run his family's general store as a high school student, which sparked his lifelong interest in commerce. After graduating from Doshisha University's economics faculty, he trained at a sushi shop for a year before opening a small four-and-a-half-tatami sushi restaurant in Osaka's Juso district in 1963.

Kojima built the business through a hands-on, field-first management style, closely studying customer traffic and profitability at other restaurants to refine his store layouts, pricing, and staff training. Under his leadership the company grew into a chain of dozens of outlets across the Kansai region, Tokyo, and overseas, and he became known for using his own stern face as the brand's advertising symbol.

Beyond his company, Kojima contributed to the wider business community, serving as chairman of the Japan Food Service Association and as representative director of the Kansai Economic Doyukai. He was awarded the Blue Ribbon Medal and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon for his contributions. He stepped down as chairman in 2021 over a food-labeling scandal and died in August 2026 at the age of 91.