Akio Nitori, born in Sakhalin in 1944, is the visionary founder and long-serving Chairman of Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd., Japan's largest furniture and home furnishings chain. His early life was marked by adversity; he was repatriated to Sapporo at age three and lived a 'hand-to-mouth life' in a unit house, helping with household work.

He struggled with traditional academics from elementary school through university. However, this lack of conventional success fueled his unconventional entrepreneurial path. He graduated from Hokkai-Gakuen University with a degree in Economics in 1966. His career began poorly when he was let go from his first job at an advertising company after just six months. Finding inspiration in the American retail model, he embarked on a mission to bring 'the comfort and luxury of American home living to the homes of Japanese People'.

Akio Nitori's defining career moment came in 1972 during a life-changing business trip to the United States. He was startled by the efficiency of American chain stores and their ability to enrich people's lives through affordable products. He returned with a clear, audacious vision: to replicate this chain store system in Japan, with the mission of providing a 'vibrant home environment'.

He founded the Nitori Furniture Store in Sapporo in 1967 with only ¥1 million borrowed from his father and friends. Nitori then pioneered the 'Manufacturing-Logistics-IT-Retail Business' model in Japan, mastering vertical integration and direct overseas imports by 1986 to drastically cut costs. He achieved an astounding 29 consecutive years of growth in sales and profit, turning macroeconomic adversities into opportunities, fulfilling his audacious 'First 30-year Plan' to open 100 stores and achieve ¥100 billion in sales by 2002. He now sits as the Chairman and CEO of Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd..

Akio Nitori’s philanthropy is rooted in his recognition of the transformative power of education and global collaboration. His major contribution is the establishment of the Nitori International Scholarship Foundation.

The foundation's main goal is to financially support graduate students from around Asia to attend Japan's top universities. Since 2014, the foundation, which holds a significant stake in Nitori stock, expanded its reach by making grants to colleges in the U.S., Taiwan, and Vietnam. This emphasis on supporting education across Asia reflects Nitori’s own experience of struggling with academia and wanting to provide opportunity for ambitious students. On a corporate level, he has received high honors, including the French 'Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur'.

Akio Nitori’s lifestyle is grounded in the principles of continuous challenge and anti-complacency that built his empire. He is not an extravagant spender, embodying the Japanese value of diligence over conspicuous consumption.

His public style is generally pragmatic and conservative, adhering to the formal dark suits expected of a major Japanese chairman. However, his private interests reveal a disciplined, adventurous spirit: he lists karaoke, scuba diving, golf, and traveling among his hobbies, suggesting a life that actively seeks out new experiences. His personal philosophy is his greatest status symbol: 'You live young as long as you keep going on the offensive. You grow old fast once you become defensive,' a motto he applies to both business and life. This commitment to challenging the status quo has been the secret luxury that powered his immense success.