 On July 10, 2018, Idemitsu and Showa Shell officially announced their agreement to merge.Idemitsu Chairman Takashi Tsukioka made a rare public statement praising Murakami, saying “It is a fact that Murakami, a distinguished investor, advised the founding family from a fair standpoint on the necessity of the merger in order to maximize the joint benefit of all stakeholders including the founding family, improving the relationship between Idemitsu and the family.I thank him for his selfless efforts to date.”