But the unlikely cross-border marriage -- Japanese media rarely venture overseas and are routinely criticised as timid in pursuit of investigative news -- has sparked concerns about editorial independence at the storied salmon-pink business paper founded in 1888.
"The merger of the Financial Times and Nikkei will give the group a major international presence in the media sector," the Japanese paper said in its Friday edition, touting it as the country's biggest-ever foreign media acquisition.
Later Friday, Okada moved to allay fears that the new owners would interfere in the FT's day-to-day story decisions.
"We're going to preserve editorial independence... That is what we've told (them)," he said at a press briefing in Tokyo.
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Tsuneo Kita, the Nikkei's chairman, echoed those sentiments, saying there were no plans to change the "content or form" of the British paper.
Kita, who said the deal came together quickly with discussions over a deal starting a little more than a month ago, described the FT as an ideal "international partner".
"Businessmen and decision makers appreciate the quality of its articles and depth of its analysis. The Nikkei and FT share common values."
In Japan, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun -- or Nikkei daily -- is a must-read for executives and has a strong track record of financial scoops.
About 2.7 million copies of its morning edition are printed daily while the afternoon version numbers 1.4 million copies.
The FT deal adds an internationally known brand and about 225,000 print copies to the Nikkei's arsenal as it eyes a battle with business powerhouses the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
Like the FT, the Nikkei is seen as a business bible.