Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan is looking to acquire a smaller stake in Showa Shell Sekiyu than planned, aiming to counter efforts by the former’s founding family to block a merger of the two oil refiners, the Nikkei business daily reported.

An Idemitsu spokesman said that the heads of both companies met to confirm their intention to merge despite the Idemitsu family’s opposition, but that there had been no discussion between them of such a move and no decision had been made on any specific plan.

But he added that it was possible that such a move may be discussed in the future among various options that could be pursued.

The family has opposed the company’s plan to acquire smaller rival Showa Shell, arguing the two companies are too culturally different for a merger to work.

Shosuke Idemitsu, Idemitsu’s honorary chairman and 89-year-old son of its founder, said in an open letter dated July 22 and posted on the family law firm’s website that he feels he has to pass on the tradition of Idemitsu that treats employees as a family and overcomes obstacles with no layoffs.

"I feel great apprehension about adding people from different backgrounds into Idemitsu’s big family and taking care of them in the same way," he wrote, adding Idemitsu should tackle today’s severe market environment in Japan as a team.