Who was Starbucks’ chief executive when the company opened its first store in Japan?

Howard Schultz was Starbucks’ chief executive when the company opened its first store in Japan.

Starbucks entered Japan in 1996 through a partnership with Sazaby League, a Japanese retail and restaurant company. The first Japanese Starbucks opened in Ginza, Tokyo, marking the company’s first market outside North America.

Schultz had joined Starbucks in 1982 and later led the company’s transformation into a large international café chain. His role during the Japan launch is distinct from his earlier role in founding Il Giornale and acquiring Starbucks in 1987.

The question names Schultz as the executive associated with the opening, not as Starbucks’ only chief executive. Jim Donald, Kevin Johnson, and Laxman Narasimhan each led Starbucks during later periods, after the company had already entered Japan.