Profile

With nearly 40 years of experience in finance, he has actively supported the founding of numerous startups through over three decades of angel investing, while also engaging deeply with NGOs and NPOs. At Solomon Brothers, he became one of the youngest Managing Directors in Asia, leading investment operations across Japan and the broader region.
He later founded Asuka Asset Management, one of Japan’s pioneering independent alternative asset management firms, and co-founded Mercuria Investment with the Development Bank of Japan, focusing on private equity investments. With a “co-creation” approach—building ventures from concept—he has been instrumental in launching several innovative businesses, including Lifenet Insurance (Japan’s first online life insurer), Money Design (Japan’s first robo-advisory platform), Recika (a blockchain business), and SDG Impact Japan. He currently serves as Chairman of MNES (remote diagnostic imaging), R Project (regional revitalization), and Discover Japan (a cultural magazine).
He was the founding representative behind Japan’s first international boarding school (UWC ISAK Japan), serves as Vice Chair of the Tokyo Committee of Human Rights Watch, and is a Trustee of the International House of Japan. He holds an LL.B. from the University of Tokyo.