Fuse, who joined Kirin group in 1982, succumbed to ventricular fibrillation at a Tokyo hospital on Thursday, a company spokesperson said. Just last month, he had been appointed as chairman of the Brewers Association of Japan.

Kirin Holdings Chief Executive Yoshinori Isozaki will concurrently run the beer unit for the time being, the company said.

(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Christopher Cushing)