The Japan Business Federation said Friday that Hiroaki Nakanishi will return to his post as chief of the country's biggest business lobby in September after he was hospitalized in late May.

Nakanishi is expected to be back at work Sept. 9, when a management meeting of the federation, also known as Keidanren, and a news conference are scheduled to be held.

But he will not join a tour of China in September arranged by other business lobbies as he will refrain from making business trips for about three months after restarting work, Keidanren said.

The 73-year old chairman of Hitachi Ltd. was diagnosed with lymphoma and hospitalized on May 21.

He expressed his desire to return to work as early as possible when he made his illness public in early June.

Nakanishi, the first chairman of the federation from Hitachi, became the 14th chief of Keidanren and started a four-year term in May 2018, succeeding Sadayuki Sakakibara.

He will also resume work as chairman of Hitachi in September.