As expected, shareholders agreed Monday to keep Yoshifumi Nishikawa at the helm of Japan Post Holdings Co., whose attempt to sell its Kampo no Yado resort inns for a fraction of their value was blocked by Kunio Hatoyama.

Nishikawa was appointed by Japan Post's board during a 20-minute general shareholders' meeting attended by a senior Finance Ministry official.

Hatoyama's successor as internal affairs and communications minister, Tsutomu Sato, handed Nishikawa a letter of authorization later in the day, effectively ending the brouhaha over his reappointment.