Issue:
Regular Member
Avi Gokool
Freelance
Avi Gokool graduated from UCI's journalism program in 2022 and has been freelancing in Japan since then. As a student journalist, he was a sports editor for UCI's school newspaper and focused on long form narrative and journalism. After graduating, he interned as a sports journalist for Premier Travel Media, gaining experience as a social media manager, wrote an array of various travel articles, and published an in-depth research article on the evolution of E-Sports. He also has experience as a managing editing intern at Tokyo Journal. With much of the world's attention shifting towards social media, he is constantly searching for ways to challenge traditional mediums of journalism and is further evolving his storytelling towards the online market.
Currently, he primarily focuses on Japanese social, environmental, and community issues. More specifically, he has a deep interest in writing stories about migrant workers, the Japanese LGBTQ community, women's rights, mixed race experiences, American military bases on Okinawa, zainichi discrimination, cultural exchange through cuisine, and the cultural diversity in Japan. In 2023, he was awarded the Greg Lee Scholarship by AAJA-LA and The Los Angeles Times to help establish himself as a young journalist in Japan. His work can be found at AsAmNews and Frame Media. Keep up with his latest activities and stories on Instagram @lclguyjin or TikTok @LocalGaijin.
Professional/Journalist Associate Member
Michinari Yanagida
Creative 2
Michinari Yanagida was born on 31 March 1967 in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. After graduating from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Waseda University, he joined the Nikkan Sports Shimbun. He worked as a reporter in the editorial bureau's organizing department, cultural and social affairs department and sports department, and covered entertainment, society, politics, football, golf, sumo, etc.
Yanagida retired on August 31, 2019 and joined Shizuoka Asahi Television on September 1 of the same year. He was promoted to general producer and general manager of the advertising department of the general organizing bureau, and then to general manager of the advertising bureau. On September 1, 2009, he joined creative2. He interviews and writes across media boundaries. In March (2023) this year, he was appointed editor-in-chief of ENCOUNT.
Associate Member
Sumiyo Hosoda
Managing Director, Shinagawa Sokki Mfg. Co., Ltd.
Associate Member
Tetsuya Ishida
No affiliation. (Retired)
Associate Member
Yuriko Kihara
Cosmo Public Relations Corporation
Yuriko Kihara is Senior Account Manager of the Editorial Group at Cosmo Public Relations Corporation. She joined Cosmo in 2006, where she oversees editorial services to produce corporate materials in both Japanese and English; these include magazines, brochures and commemorative books in print and digital formats. Her roster of notable clients represent the architectural, food culture, food sciences and healthcare sectors, and include Kikkoman Corporation and Takeda. She is a key member in producing Takenaka Corporation's award-winning quarterly magazine approach, for which Cosmo has been providing editorial services since the magazine's inception in 1964.
Prior to joining Cosmo, Ms. Kihara worked at Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in the company's international corporate planning department where she was involved in creating business plans for new overseas businesses, and also in their PR department where she was in charge of media relations and internal communications.
Ms. Kihara has a Bachelor of Law degree from Keio University. She previously lived for a total of 12 years in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico.
Associate Member
Hitoshi Kiuchi
IJA Kyodo Kumiai
OCCUPATION: IJA COOPERATIVE - Jan.2023-present
Chief Executive Officer
-Job introduction for foreign technical trainees
(NAGANO prefecture & Tokyo Metropolitan Areas)
WORK EXPERIENCE: FB CARE SERVICE CO., LTD. - Mar.2023-present
・Outside Director
Member of the House of Representatives - Dec.2012-Sep.2017
Prefectural assembly member of NAGANO - Apr.2003-Apr.2011
Municipal assemby member of SAKU-city, NAGANO - Apr.1993-Nov.2000
The Matsushita Institute of Government and Management - Apr.1988-Feb.1993
・Researcher
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Laws, HOSEI UNIVERSITY, Tokyo (1988)
FAVORITE SPORTS: Playing and watching Golf
Associate Member
Daisuke Nihei
NS Cross Tech LLC
I have a dream.
We are developing a variety of businesses with the aim of creating a society where everyone can live a happy and bright life.
I established a company in Sri Lanka, and in Japan, I am running a manufacturing business related to decarbonization using solar power generation and rare soil (radiation stone) .
On the other hand, because health is the most important thing, we are also developing preventive drugs for diabetes and products to treat dengue fever.
Nihein's LANKA CEO
Japan Sri Lanka Business Association CEO
Ys Consulting Director
NS Cross TECH CEO
Arokiam Auto Japan Sales Manager
Associate Member
Keitaro Shirayama
Cosmo Public Relations Corporation
With a career spanning 35 years, Keitaro Shirayama has worked with some of the world's leading medical device manufacturers of equipment and reagents designed for in vitro diagnosis used in clinical laboratories. Across numerous markets around the globe, he has successfully extended reach for a wide range of products, launched new businesses, and skillfully managed international operations. Keitaro has spent 12+ years working overseas in the U.S. and China, building extensive knowledge of the Chinese medical device market and industry in particular, while cultivating a broad network of business contacts across the sector.
At COSMO Public Relations, a Japan's independent strategic communication consultancy, Keitaro is passionate about getting to the heart of multilayered issues faced by clients, proposing best practices, and orchestrating optimized strategies that enable clients to create value that is truly needed by society.
Keitaro holds an MBA from the Chuo Graduate School of Strategic Management.
Associate Member
Ichiro Tominaga
UBP Investments Co., Ltd.
With UBP since 2008, Ichiro has taken on different responsibilities within UBP. He returned to Tokyo in April 2023, after a seven-year secondment at UBP London, where he played a critical role as the Head of Investment Office for Japan. Prior to joining UBP, Ichiro worked for Goldman Sachs as a portfolio manager at Alternative Investments and Manager Selection Group. He began his career at Barclays Bank as a foreign exchange trader.
Ichiro holds BA in Business & Commerce from Keio University in Japan and MA in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick in the UK. He is also the Japan representative of Japan Business Group of Institute of Directors (UK), the Britain's longest running organization for business leaders which was founded in 1903.
Associate Member
Jun Taneie
ANA Holdings Inc.
Since joining All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA), Taneie has had a wide variety of experiences ranging from marketing, airline alliance and investor relations. Some of the projects that she has undertaken include the introduction of the Revenue Management system and the effect verification of ANA joining the Star Alliance network.
In April 2013, she was assigned as President of Rakuten ANA Travel Online Co., Ltd., followed by Vice President of Marketing Communications (ANA) from 2016, and Marketing Strategy from 2019. In April 2021, she was assigned as Executive Vice President, DEI Promotion (ANA), followed by CDO (Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer) of ANA Holdings
