was considered to be one of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

's most powerful and influential building tycoons. He joined the real estate business of his father, Taikichiro Mori, after graduating from Tokyo University and was president and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of Mori Building, of which he and his older brother Kei's (a university professor) families owned 100%. He owned 12.74% of Sunwood Corporation. The family name is found on many real estate developments in

. Minoru and his brother Akira were listed on the Forbes list of the world's richest men. His largest project was the Roppongi Hills development in Tokyo, which opened in 2003. The Shanghai World Financial Center, once China's tallest building, was completed in 2008. Mori acknowledged the influence of

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...

but believed he had surpassed the Swiss architect's urban designs, particularly in the Roppongi Hills project. In 2006, Mori's last development, Omotesando Hills, opened near Harajuku station consisting of a set of ramped shopping floors. In 2008, he was named Asia Businessman of the Year 2007 by Fortune magazine. In 2009, he was honored as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. He died of heart failure in 2012.Minoru Mori, Builder Who Changed the Face of Modern Tokyo, Dies at 77
''New York Times'', 14 March 2012 He was 77.

Noteworthy developments

* Shanghai World Financial Center * Roppongi Hills * Mori Tower * Ark Hills * Atago Green Hills * Holland Hills * Omotesando Hills * Roppongi First Building ;Residential:
Akasaka Tameike Tower

Ark Towers
*Wangdu Towers
Ark Forest Terrace

Roppongi First Plaza

Nishi-Azabu Forest Plaza

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mori, Minoru 1934 births 2012 deaths University of Tokyo alumni Japanese chief executives Japanese businesspeople in real estate Museum founders Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Mori Building 20th-century philanthropists

Noteworthy developments

See also

References