Satoko Ishii
PR Partner

With a career spanning approximately 20 years in the communications industry, Satoko began handling lifestyle content for the ELLE Online editorial department at Hearst Fujingaho Co., Ltd. Subsequently, she supported PR activities for various industries such as technology, consumer goods, tourism, automotive, and healthcare, working at a foreign PR agency. During this time, Satoko gained experience in the public sector PR support, working as a freelancer and providing overseas public relations for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, as well as advocacy related to domestic national elections. At Makaira, she focuses on the theme of “value co-creation” and supports advocacy activities for United Nations agencies and international NGOs through collaboration between the government, private sector, and academia. Additionally, she provides assistance in social branding development and sustainability promotion for technology and healthcare companies. Satoko is a graduate of Keio University’s Faculty of Policy Management.

Shingo Inoue
Strategic Planner & Creative Director

Engaged in branding research, strategy and concept formulation, and design development as a planner and designer.
After working in investment banking and studying interior design in Milan, Shingo worked as a planner for a corporate brand consulting company. Following that, he became independent and was involved in branding, development of various communication items, and space design. At the same time, he gained experience in project management of various production-related projects ranging from paper, digital, film, and space. He joined Makaira in 2024.
Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, IED Post Diploma of Interior Design.

Maho Imamura
Art Director

Leveraging her experience in toC, Maho depicts the customer experience through intricate emotional design.

After working in the apparel industry, she pursued a graduate degree specializing in architecture. While still in college, Maho was involved in various creative endeavors as an art director for a venture company, including spatial design, content planning, graphics and costume production for fully customized wedding projects and corporate assignments.
She then moved on to work in event management for a company involved in tackling social issues, and also gained extensive experience in design consultancy while working for a creative agency.

With a focus on understanding clients’ needs, Maho’s strength lies in creating essential and beautiful spaces.

Tomoyasu Urata
Senior Consultant

After working as a creative director at a major advertising production company, Tomo was engaged in business development and branding for major companies, as well as commercialization projects for social good and SDGs at a venture company that specializes in business design. With the aim of developing businesses from the consumer’s point of view, incorporating the essence of the right brain, he provides support for business development through market research, business planning and promotion, and PR and SP strategy planning.

Makaira aims to create a new society through a three-pronged approach of market strategy, non-market strategy, and creativity.

Kyoko Oishi
Corporate: Human Resources & Administration Manager

Professional in launching, managing and improving overall back office work, communication and culture of a growing organization.

Kyoko started her career as a veterinary nurse before moving to the private sector. After working in sales support at Sony PCL, she joined Azit, a start-up company aiming to establish MaaS services. In just two years, Kyoko supported the rapid growth of the organization from 5 to over 100 employees by setting up the entire back office from scratch, including personnel and labor affairs, general affairs, sales support, and accounting, and establishing operations. She then worked in HR and general affairs for another start-up company before joining Makaira. Kyoko is responsible for building and operating back-office systems centered on human resources and general affairs, and fostering a corporate culture.

In addition to her work at Makaira, she continues to be a popular manicurist with a constant flow of appointments.

Aiko Ohguri
Consultant

After graduating from university, Aiko worked at a job information company, consulting on corporate recruitment strategies. She then handled internal and external public relations, as well as newspaper column writing.

In 2021, she joined the largest domestic NPO in Japan. Aiko has been involved in various PR campaigns aimed at policy proposals from the private sector and fostering awareness and cultural change in society, such as promoting paternity leave, supporting multiple births childcare, campaigning for the mandatory installation of prevention devices for children left on nursery school buses, and advocating for policy proposals for preventing child sexual abuse, known as the “Japanese version of DBS”.

Her public affairs efforts, starting in 2022, to raise awareness about the social issue of “children without nursery school enrollment” and solutions for it, became the impetus for the government’s consideration of the “universal nursery school enrollment system for all children”. In 2023, she received the ACC Gold Award (PR category) at the 63rd ACC TOKYO CREATIVITY AWARDS.

Tomomi Ose
Senior Associate

After completing graduate school, Tomomi worked as a local government official in charge of supporting the activities of community organizations and the community life of people with disabilities. In 2018 she switched jobs to work for a business organization in Kansai, where she was involved in research activities and formulating proposals, as well as planning and managing international symposiums and large-scale conferences attended by several hundred people from the business world. She has worked on a wide range of issues, including sustainability, human capital management, gender, multicultural co-existence, disparity issues, technological innovation, DX, GX, security, urban strategy, etc. She joined Makaira in 2024.
As a student, Tomomi majored in art history. Through her analysis of postwar art and society, she has deepened her thinking about the balance of power between the center and the margins that exists in the world, including in relation to gender. She also works as a freelance art writer.

Shinji Ohata
Head, Makaira Art&Design

Shinji provides consulting for medium- to long-term projects for major companies, with a focus on business development, brand transformation, collective impact, and new industry creation.

Through 10 years of working at a major company, Shinji gained experience with launches of new businesses, new products, and new R&D. Following that, he has worked for business development and branding in various industries as strategist of a brand consulting firm, director of a business consulting firm, and executive officer of a social creative group.

Shinji joined Makaira in 2020, and is currently a lecturer on “Social Innovation” at Waseda Business School (MBA).
Has a Bachelor’s and Master of Engineering from Osaka University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Takarazuka University of Art and Design (MBA in Design).

Yuriko Kusano
Senior Consultant

Yuriko’s main focus is on consulting related to labor, employment, education, and sustainability.
She worked for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for 8 years, mainly engaged in trade negotiations, retail and distribution policy, as well as human resource policy. After working for an educational venture company, where she was involved in business planning and the strengthening of organizational infrastructure, she became interested in the social implementation of various innovations and joined Makaira. Graduated from the University of Tokyo.

Martin Glindemann
Consultant

Martin is a multi-lingual public affairs consultant specializing in the tech and innovation
sectors. At Makaira, he manages public affairs programs on women participation promotion in Japan for the world’s largest social media company, as well as promotion of VR technology in education. Martin is also the program manager for Makaira’s partnerships with international affiliates, and manages international tourism and public diplomacy related projects. Back in Germany, he also gathered experience reporting for the local TV station Offener Kanal Wettin and the Mainzer Rhein-Zeitung newspaper. Martin graduated from the University of Trier in Germany with a Master’s degree in Media & Communication and Japanese Studies, where he focused especially on Public Relations, International Marketing, and Crisis Communication. Speaks both Japanese and Korean.

Kazuma Kurokawa
Senior Associate

Kazuma works primarily with digital clients and has strengths in communications, including advertising and PR.

After graduating from university, he joined a marketing company and was responsible for a wide range of areas, from offline strategies such as events and seminars to online initiatives including website development and social media marketing. He then moved to a local municipality, where he was involved in legislative tasks such as drafting proposals and conducting official seal audits. In 2020, Kazuma joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. After gaining experience in educational administration, he was transferred to the Start-up and International Financial City Strategy Office in 2023. As part of a staff exchange programme, Kazuma was transferred to Makaira and is currently serving in that position.

Haruyo Shiraki
Consultant

After completing graduate school, Chiyo entered the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). She was involved in tasks related to lifelong learning and human resource development in the field of science and technology. Subsequently, she worked at a medical university, where she was engaged in supporting female researchers and tasks related to applying for and implementing MEXT’s supplementary projects in this regard.

Instituted institutional systems under her leadership received the “Tokyo Metropolitan Government Award for Promoting Women’s Advancement” Excellence Award. In 2024, she joined Makaira Corporation to contribute to the establishment of systems for creating a better society.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Education and a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Education at the same university, specializing in education, and is a certified psychologist.

Takayuki Suzuki
Senior Consultant

With extensive experience as a public secretary for members of the House of Representatives, Takayuki is well-versed in the movements surrounding the National Diet. He also has abundant experience in external affairs and public policy fields in various industries, as well as supporting the operation of industry associations within private enterprises.

In his role as a public secretary for members of the National Diet, Takayuki excels in drafting policies, building relationships with various stakeholders such as private enterprises, various organizations, government ministries, and the media necessary for policy implementation, and making necessary proposals. He advises startups and small to medium-sized enterprises, supports communication with the administration to facilitate the growth and expansion of each company, and is involved in launching and managing numerous parliamentary groups. Takayuki joined Makaira in 2024.

Hiromitsu Takahashi
Corporate: Head of Business Administration

Hiromitsu graduated from the University of Tokyo and joined the Central Japan Railway Company (JR東海) after graduation. In addition to back-office tasks such as accounting, finance and general affairs, he was involved in organizational development at the Yamanashi Maglev Test Center and projects such as investment in a high-speed rail project in Texas, USA, during the overseas transportation city development support project assignment (JOIN). After working at Accenture and a space venture company, Hiromitsu joined Makaira in April 2023.

Hiromitsu holds a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo and a master’s degree in urban planning from the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.

Mariko Takeoka
Consultant

After graduating from university, Mariko joined the Secretariat of the House of Councillors. Through this she gained experience regarding the operation of plenary sessions and committees, with a deep understanding of the legislative process and related regulations governing parliamentary operations. During her time at the Research Office she authored papers on Japan’s science and technology policy and drone flight regulations, thus deepening her interest in the social implementation of technology.

Mariko has accumulated research experience on inclusive social policies, police-related regulations and economic policy, and excels in conducting investigative analyses and making recommendations from an on-the-ground perspective.

Sharing the mission of Makaira to support the advancement of a better society through the power of innovation, she joined in October 2023.

Taiyo Chihara
Senior Consultant

After finishing graduate school, Taiyo worked as a clerk at law firms as well as at Waseda University, handling compliance and business restructuring issues.

In 2015, he joined the office of Fumiaki Kobayashi, a member of the House of Representatives. For the following four years, he worked as a policy secretary, responsible for policy planning, relationship building with ministries, and external affairs. He further supported the revision of various laws by identifying and organizing issues, drafting plans for policies to become solution strategies, and coordinating stakeholders. Major achievements include the revision of the Fishery Act for the first time in 70 years, and provisions regarding digital platform businesses.

Since joining Makaira in 2019, Taiyo has been working on public-private digitalization, government reform, and industry development.

Shizuka Tonosaki
Consultant

After teaching on the Companies Act and the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act as a university lecturer, Shizuka worked as head researcher in the legal field at a public utility research institute.

She specialized in research on energy projects, investigating domestic and international trends on non-financial information such as ESG and SDGs and providing information to public utility operators, contributing to the development of their businesses. Additionally, she conducted analyses and comparisons of shareholder trends and proposals at domestic and international energy companies’ general meetings of shareholders over an extended period, creating and reporting on annual reviews of shareholder meetings and proposing responses for dialogue with stakeholders, including shareholders.

Deep expertise in climate change and corporate governance through her previous research activities.

Hiroki Tomita
Consultant

Hiroki was born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1976. He was formerly a mayor, secretary to a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, a city councilor, and an instructor (political science/administration) at a public service preparatory school.

In terms of public policy, Hiroki specializes in urban and regional management. During his tenure as mayor, he managed to deliver on many of his promises. Hiroki further established several project teams and accomplished the abolition of extra-departmental organizations, the management reform of the municipal hospital, as well as economic reform (review of all projects) and organizational reform. He also implemented several measures to expand services for residents, and promoted the SDGs Future City Plan (realization of Society 5.0) and DX within the government and the local community, as well as new public management utilizing advanced technology to solve problems. Hiroki then joined Makaira, resonating with the companies’ vision. He specialized in public affairs work, including the reform and adjustment of existing regulations and aligning interests with society in order to create innovation.

Hiroki is also engaged in corporate advisory work for several companies. Graduated from the Kyoto University School of Public Policy.

Takeo Nakagawa
Special Advisor

Based on abundant administrative experience and achievements, Takeo provides support with strategy formulation and policy proposals in the field of innovation and education.

In his many years of administrative experience at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Cabinet Secretariat, and the Cabinet Office, he was in charge of planning and promoting science, technology and innovation policies and educational policies, and gained experience as well with personnel and Diet measures, and leading crisis management teams. He has served as Deputy Director-General of the Innovation Promotion Office of the Cabinet Secretariat, executive of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Cabinet Office, and Director-General of the National Institute for Educational Policy Research.

Yuta Nakamura
Consultant

After graduating from university, Yuta joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. He was involved in initiatives such as the overseas expansion of water infrastructure utilizing Official Development Assistance (ODA), the globalization of Tokyo Metropolitan University, and policy coordination with sister cities and embassies in Tokyo.

Subsequently, he was responsible for group governance in the corporate planning department of a major life insurance holding company.

With a desire to support various stakeholders aiming to create impact through the implementation of technology in society for the realization of a better society, Yuta joined Makaira in 2024. He engages in public affairs across a wide range of fields, leveraging his experience in both the public and private sectors.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Education.

Satoshi Hazome
Principal

Since entering the workforce, Satoshi has been consistently engaged in public works projects. He has a wide range of work experience, knowledge, and expertise, from large-scale projects for the national and prefectural governments to operations for wards and municipalities.

Satoshi has worked on business IT, BPR, and DX for public works in the national government, foundations, prefectures, and municipalities at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (NTT), NTT Data, Kokusai Kogyo, Zenrin, MTI, and others. He has a wide range of experience from core systems to front office systems to back office systems.

For the last 15 years or so, he has been involved in geographic information, medical care, health and welfare/caregiving, and child care. He has also been involved in lobbying for the last 5 years.

Previous positions include
・Project Manager, “Demonstration Project for Mountain Accident Prevention Using ICT”
・Member of the Study Group for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Digital Platform Construction Project (Survey and Research on the Utilization of Government Data in the Field of Education in Small Local Governments), FY 2019

Certified as an Expert in Health Master Certification
Joined Makaira KK in July 2023

Lillian Bain
Senior Associate

Born and raised in Oregon, USA, Lilly holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government (political theory) from Dartmouth College, and a Master’s degree in Global Studies from the University of Tokyo. She has experience interning at the US Japan Council, and an IT consulting firm in Tokyo. She has a high interest in politics and public policy, including Fintech and related regulations, national economic security, and public diplomacy. Speaks Japanese and English, and joined Makaira in 2021.

Akira Matsumoto
Consultant

Akira is specialized in public communication regarding safe and secure use of the Internet by minors, utilising his experience and accomplishments in both the private sector and government.

In graduate school, he researched local media and urban development, and worked with the public authorities and a shopping district to work towards the opening of a community radio station. After working at a printing company, Akira was in charge of planning and managing content for games and youth protection measures at Internet and game companies. Following that, he was engaged as a specialist in measures against harmful information (in charge of providing an environment for the youth) at the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, where his responsibilities included formulating basic planning and scientific research based on the “Act on Development of an Environment that Provides Safe and Secure Internet Use for Young People”, activities for spreading awareness, and symposium management. In Makaira, Akira handles consulting and event planning activities from both the private and administrative perspectives. He also has deep knowledge of the use and application of local media and the Internet for regional development. Akira graduated from the Shizuoka University of Art and Culture Graduate School.

Yuri Mikami
Producer

Originally from Tokyo, Yuri studied interior design in Italy after graduating from high school. Upon returning to Japan, she began her career as a creative producer at a web production company. She was later seconded to JR East Japan Planning, where she was responsible for the promotion of commercial facilities. Through her involvement in various creative production processes, including graphics, printing and photography, Yuri gained experience in managing creative production operations. In the spring of 2023, she joined Makaira Art&Design (MAD).

Naoto Mizuguchi
Consultant

Naoto is responsible for government relations. He has experience as Secretary General/Director of the National Association of Retail Liquor Dealers and its political federation, as well as the political federation of the National Industrial Resources Recycling Federation. He has supported GR activities for DeepTech start-ups and ran as an official candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party in the 25th House of Councillors election.

During his tenure at the National Association of Retail Liquor Dealers and its political federation, Naoto achieved the passage of parliamentary petitions in the House of Representatives and House of Councillors Finance Committees. He lobbied both the ruling and opposition parties, resulting in bipartisan legislation. At the National Industrial Resources Recycling Federation political association, he served as Deputy Director of the GR Secretariat through introductions by ruling party members of parliament, contributing to the advancement of industry organizations and members. In DeepTech venture companies, he supported advocacy activities as the GR lead. Naoto joined Makaira in April 2023. He is also a visiting member of the International Business Creation Research Center at Keio University’s Faculty of Economics.

Yuki Minowa
Consultant

Utilizing his knowledge in the recruitment industry, Yuki is primarily responsible for providing personnel support to government officials and companies engaged in public affairs. After graduating from university, he worked in corporate sales at JTB Corporation. He was in charge of new sales, and handled the highest number of projects per year in his department, across all areas and industries. He then joined Reeracoen Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the Malaysian branch of NeoCareer Group, where he was appointed as sales manager in his second year and was involved in a wide range of activities including KPI management, sales member training, and in-house recruitment as acting branch manager. Feeling a sense of crisis about the low mobility of personnel in Japan and a desire to create a career path that transcends public, private, academic, and NPO organizations, he then joined Makaira.

He holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Chuo University.

Yosuke Miyata
External Partner

Yousuke is a policy advocate for the realization of new services, including the sharing economy. He started his career at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2007, where he was responsible for IT policy after having been in charge of regional revitalization, work-style reform, tourism demand policy, and reform of the social security system. He also drafted policy plans such as for the promotion of the spread of data utilization, and revision of the Personal Information Protection Law. Following this, he was in charge of IT policy advocacy activities as manager of Policy Planning Staff at Yahoo! Besides that, Yousuke participated in the work of industry groups such as Keidanren, and also involved himself widely in the IT industry, launching the Japan IT Association Federation and the IT Social Promotion Political Federation, thereby leading policy advocacy activities across the industry. In 2018, he founded Poliflect K.K., a business responsible for policy advocacy activities, and became representative director.

Shogo Murata
Senior Fellow, Makaira Public Policy Institute

Shogo specializes in advocacy and policy research mainly in the healthcare and technology sectors.

After graduating from university, he worked at a non-profit think tank before being elected to the Kashiwa City council (Chiba Prefecture). During his tenure, he served as Chairman of the Education and Welfare Committee and was in charge of preparations for legislative proposals such as the Cancer Control Ordinance and the Suicide Countermeasure Promotion Ordinance. From 2016, he served as the legislative staff to Mr. FUKUDA Mineyuki (MP, Liberal Democratic Party of Japan & Special Advisor to the Minister of State for Comprehensive Reform of Social Security and Tax). He had worked as a secretariat staff of LDP’s IT Strategic Policy Special Committee and the Parliamentary Association for Foster Care Reform (Chairman: SHIOZAKI Yasuhisa, Former Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare).

Since 2019, Shogo has been a public policy advisor for healthcare and technology at Makaira. He managed public affairs projects on, among others, advocacy for applying public insurance for digital medical devices, the planning of patient advocacy activities in the field of neurology. Shogo graduated from Keio University, and holds a Master of Medical Administration (MMA) from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Further, completed an executive education program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Leadership Strategies for IT in Health Care).

Hiroyuki Yasui
External Partner

Hiroyuki specializes in policy research, analysis and advocacy, as well as support for formulating and implementing public communication strategies, mainly for the sharing economy and work-style reform in Japan.

After graduating from university, Hiroyuki worked at Marubeni, where he researched and analysed regulatory issues related to new business investment projects both in Japan and overseas, and established and fortified a compliance system. Fully realizing the importance of the rule-making process, he went on to join Makaira, where his responsibilities include the support of policy advocacy and relationship building / coordination with the national and local governments and NPOs, focusing on new business areas that lead to social change. Hiroyuki is highly interested in tri-sector collaboration and collective impact in which NPOs and the public and private sectors work together to solve social issues.

He graduated from Kyoto University, Faculty of Law. Currently serves as the Director of Public Affairs of the Sharing Economy Association and the Director of Public Policy at Climate Integrate, a climate policy think tank.

Kei Yokoyama
Director

Based on abundant administrative experience and achievements, Kei provides consulting in a wide range of fields, including support for relationship establishment between startups and the public sector, as well as policy analysis and policy proposals.

Prior to joining Makaira, Kei worked in the public sector (Ministry of Internal affairs and Communications, Okayama Prefectural Government and Mie Prefectural Government) for 11 years, mainly engaged in the “Social Security and Tax Number (My Number) System” as well as local tax policy and digital transformation policy. His last assignment was Vice CDO (Chief Digital Officer) at the Mie Prefectural Government.

Kei graduated from the University of Tokyo with a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Sciences Po Paris with a Master’s degree in Regional and Urban Strategy.

Radoslaw Tyszkiewicz
Consultant

Radoslaw has extensive experience working in international affairs, strategic diplomacy, business, administration, and media for over 20 years. His career in the diplomatic realm includes a pivotal role at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Japan, where he served as Deputy Head of Mission. He has further expanded his international exposure through significant positions held at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations in New York, the European External Action Service in Brussels, and various crucial roles within Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Combining his diplomatic expertise with a strong interest in technology, Radoslaw bridges the gap between traditional diplomacy and modern technological advancements. Alongside his diplomatic skills, he possesses linguistic fluency in English, Japanese, and a proficient working knowledge of French, enabling effective communication across diverse cultural contexts.

Radoslaw’s educational journey includes studies at prestigious institutions such as the National School of Public Administration in Warsaw, where he refined his skills as a professional civil servant. Additionally, he pursued a Master of Arts in Japanese Studies from Warsaw University’s Oriental Institute and completed a Master of Arts program at Warsaw University’s Law and Administration Faculty.

Hidehiro Watanabe
Head, Makaira Art&Design
Artist
Part-time Lecturer, Department of Information Society, Faculty of Human Sociology, Saitama Institute of Technology

Hidehiro focuses on sharing value with stakeholders by drawing out the essence of a company and visualizing it. He is also working on branding in domains such as CSR, social issues, and thought leadership, which relate to social values and public attitudes that are vital for companies going forward. Using this unique approach, Hidehiro has recently been involved in regional branding through the development of logomarks for Hiroshima for global Peace (from 2020) and for Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture’s Japanese heritage site “Chikuma, City of the Moon” (from 2021).

He is also a contemporary artist and has a wealth of experience in supporting the implementation of various visual communication initiatives, including branding for a private music hall and the Tokyo Art Festival, as well as tie-up planning for a solo exhibition and store promotion at the apparel store DESIGN WORKS Ginza (2018).

Graduated from University of the Arts (USA).