One of Japan's top business lobbies says its chairperson has resigned. Niinami Takeshi is under investigation for purchasing supplements that may have contained an illegal substance.


The Japan Association of Corporate Executives said its board of directors accepted his offer of resignation at a meeting on Tuesday.


The directors on the association's membership review committee had previously agreed that Niinami should be urged to quit.


Niinami had already stepped back from his duties as the association's chief after the disclosure that he was the subject of a police investigation. He had left it up to the business lobby's board to decide his fate.


Niinami's tenure as chairperson was due to expire in April 2027. The association says its Senior Vice Chairperson Iwai Mutsuo will take over until a new head is chosen.


Niinami resigned as chairman and CEO of Japanese beverage maker Suntory Holdings in early September after he informed the company of the police investigation.