Minoru Arakawa grew up in Kyoto Japan. He attended Kyoto University, majoring in civil engineering, and then later went to Harvard. Minoru Arakawa eventually began work for Marubeni. In Kyoto, he found his wife Yoko Yamauchi (Hiroshi Yamauchi's daughter). Minoru moved to Vancouver to head Marubeni's condominium complex, and did very well. He returned to Kyoto for Yoko Yamauchi to visit her family, and Hiroshi Yamauchi had a job offer at Nintendo to become the President of Nintendo Of America. Minoru Arakawa held this position at Nintendo from 1980 until 2002. In 2002; he retired from his job at Nintendo at 55 years of age. Minoru Arakawa was one of Nintendo major assets. Tatsumi Kimishima took over Minoru's role as President of Nintendo of America.