Toshifumi Suzuki, the founder of Japan's convenience store industry, has died at the age of 94.
The news was reported by NHK, as cited by Oxu.Az.
Suzuki, head of Ito Yokado, secured the license for the US-based 7-Eleven chain in the 1970s and opened the first convenience store in Japan.
These stores, known as kombini, offer a wide range of daily products including food, drinks, clothing, and stationery.
Suzuki is considered the father of Japan's kombini sector, which has become one of the country's most recognizable symbols abroad. 7-Eleven currently operates over 21,000 stores in Japan, while competitors have an additional 30,000 outlets.
