Japan Tobacco Inc. announced the appointment of Naohiro Minami as Executive Vice President and Representative Director from current position of Senior Vice President and Kiyohide Hirowatari is appointed as Executive Vice President and Representative Director from current position of Senior Vice President. The appointments of the Executive Vice Presidents are effective from January 1, 2018. The appointments of the Representative Directors are subject to the ratification at the 33rd Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for March 27, 2018 and also the approval of resolutions at the company's Board of Directors' meeting scheduled subsequently. The company announced the resignation of Yasushi Shingai as Executive Vice President and Representative Director and assumes new position of Member of the Board. He will assume a new position as Member of the Board without the right to represent the company as of January 1, 2018, and will then resign as Member of the Board upon the ratification at the 33rd Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for March 27, 2018. Naohiro Minami is currently Senior Vice President of the company, since June 2012. Kiyohide Hirowatari is currently Senior Vice President of the company, since June 2012. The company appointed Koichiro Watanabe as new member of the Board, effective March 27, 2018. His current responsibilities are Representative Director, Chairman of the Board, Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc. The appointment is subject to the ratification at the 33rd Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for March 27, 2018. The company announced the resignation of Hideki Miyazaki and Motoyuki Oka as Member of the Board. Mr. Miyazaki will resign Executive Vice President on December 31, 2017. The company announced that Ryoko Nagata to be appointed as Standing Audit and Supervisory Board Member on March 27, 2018. Futoshi Nakamura is resigning as Standing Audit and Supervisory Board Member, effective March 27, 2018. Effective, January 1, 2018, the company announced the promotion of Naohiro Minami as Executive Vice President, Chief Finance Officer and Communications and Kiyohide Hirowatari as Executive Vice President, Compliance, General Affairs, Legal, Corporate Strategy, IT, CSR, Human Resources and Operation Review & Business Assurance. The company announced the appointment of Chigusa Ogawa as Senior Vice President, CSR and Koichi Mori as Senior Vice President, Human Resources. The company announced change in responsibilities of Ryoko Nagata from Senior Vice President, Assistant to President, effective January 1, 2018.