
GUEST SPEAKERS
Introducing the lecture theme, name, title, biography, and lecture content in order
Boston Abe Abe Boston
Painter
For 12 years, he worked at a publishing company, editing study guides, science reading materials for libraries, and illustrated books on topics such as the universe, paleontology, humanity and civilization, and the world of living things. After that, he started a cram school for junior high school students, high school students, and other students who were not attending school. At the same time, he started a publishing company by himself, and published books mainly related to children. He started drawing after promising to draw a picture book for a 2-and-a-half-year-old child he met one day.
Yohei Doi 土居洋平
Associate Professor, Atsumi Women's University
I specialize in urban and rural sociology. In particular, in recent years I have been researching the significance of community spaces in cities and migration to rural areas. At first glance, these seem like completely different themes, but I see them as both connected phenomena that have been influenced by major changes in Japanese society. I would like to talk about these aspects as well today.
Hiroki Fukushima 福島弘騎
Fast Retailing Ariake Project and Structural Reform Department
Graduated from the Department of Law, Faculty of Law, Keio University in 2018. While at university, he was a member of the men's lacrosse team and devoted himself to daily practice. After graduating from university, he joined Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., where he worked as a salesperson and store manager at a Uniqlo store. After that, he worked in the Human Resources Department, designing human resources systems and recruiting new graduates both domestically and overseas. He is currently involved in planning and promoting company-wide reforms in the areas of products, marketing, and sales floors in the Ariake Project and Structural Reform Department.
Yasunori Fujita
Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University
In the Fujita seminar, students aim to become "the 21st century's Fukuzawa Yukichi," "the next Steve Jobs," "super university students," and "new members of the workforce," and they work daily under the theme of "designing inspiration."
Aiko Kurasawa 倉沢愛子
Professor Emeritus, Keio University
He is engaged in regional research in Indonesia, particularly in kampungs, residential areas where low-income earners live. He has published numerous books.
Aiko Kurasawa 倉沢愛子
Professor Emeritus, Keio University
He is engaged in regional research in Indonesia, particularly in kampungs, residential areas where low-income earners live. He has published numerous books.
Anne MacDonald
マクドナルド・ア ン
Professor at Sophia University Graduate School
Professor at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Sophia University. Lectures environmental history. Researches development plans in Pacific countries. Canadian.
Kohei Nishiwada 西和田浩平
Founder and CEO of Asuene Inc.
After graduating from Keio University, he was in charge of new business investment and M&A in renewable energy in Japan, Europe and Latin America at Mitsui & Co., Ltd. During his overseas posting in Brazil, he was seconded to a distributed power source company, invested in a Brazilian distributed solar retail venture, won a solar power tender in Mexico, and established a Japanese solar fund.
Founded Asuene Co., Ltd. in 2019. Raised 10.1 billion yen in funding. With the mission of "creating a better world for the next generation," he runs a startup in the Climate Tech field that is currently developing "Asuene," a cloud service for visualizing CO2 emissions, and "AsueneESG," a cloud service for evaluating ESG in supply chain procurement. Received the 2021 Forbes Japan Rising Star Award and was selected for the 2021 Forbes Japan 100. In 2023, he launched the carbon credit and emissions trading exchange "Carbon EX" with SBI Holdings, and also serves as Co-CEO and Representative Director of Carbon EX.
Tsukamoto Yutaro
Keio University School of Medicine
Born in 2002. Lived in Japan until studying abroad in high school. Graduated from Keio NY Academy in 2021 and will proceed to Keio University School of Medicine in 2022. Served as representative of student groups for community and remote area medical care and medical startups, and is currently studying childhood developmental disorders as an intern at OIST (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University).
Masato Suzuki 鈴木雅人
Graduate student at the University of Tokyo
Born in 1999. Graduated from Keio NY Academy (senior high school) in 2018, and entered the Department of Politics at Keio University Faculty of Law in 2019. At the undergraduate level, he mainly studied international politics, but after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, he became interested in the health field. In 2023, he switched his field to global health and entered the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Tokyo, majoring in Global Health. As of 2024, he is in his second year of master's studies. He is currently researching excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
Hinako Takei 武井雛子
Graduate Student at Columbia University
Born in Tokyo in 2000. Spent elementary school in Tokyo, middle school in Switzerland, and high school in New York. After entering the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University in 2019, he majored in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. After graduation, he entered the Graduate School of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies at Columbia University in New York to continue his research on sexuality in the Middle East, which he had focused on during his undergraduate years. As of 2024, he is a second-year master's student and is conducting research on the influence of colonialism and capitalism hidden in the human rights movement for Western sexual norms, including LGBT, in the Middle East.
Yuito Yamada 山田唯人
Partner at McKinsey & Co.
Born in 1986, he spent his childhood in Singapore, New York, and London. He graduated from Keio University Faculty of Economics in 2010. He completed his Master's in Sustainability at Cambridge University in 2022. He joined McKinsey & Company in 2010, established a London branch, and is currently a partner in the Tokyo branch. He is the Asia leader of McKinsey's Sustainability Research Group, and is mainly involved in issues in the resource sector (energy, food, agriculture, and water). His work in Asia includes renewables such as solar and hydrogen power generation, strategies for improving productivity of Japanese water and agricultural products, and the entry of environmental technologies into emerging countries, as well as the design of special zones that aim to balance the public sector with economic growth and green growth. He has worked in offices in various countries, including Tokyo, London, Zurich, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, and Johannesburg. In 2011, he was selected as a member of the Global Shapers Community (Davos Conference) of the World Economic Forum, and together with members from various countries, he launched the "Green Taxi's Initiative" to spread electric vehicles around the world, and is currently running campaigns to popularize electric vehicles in Zurich, Costa Rica, and other places. He attended the Davos Conference in Switzerland a total of four times from 2013 to 2023. In April 2022, he was selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum. In January 2017, he was selected as a David Rockefeller Fellow (leader under the age of 35) of the Trilateral Commission, which conducts joint research on domestic and international issues common to developed countries. He obtained a US Certified Public Accountant license while in college.
Rikuto Yamada 山田陸人
University of California, Graduate School
Born in 1990. Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Law in 2014. During his time as a student, he studied abroad at the University of California, Berkeley as an exchange student for one year. In 2014, he joined Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC and worked on issues in the manufacturing industry, especially in the automotive and mobility fields. In 2020, he transferred to Deloitte Consulting (Singapore office) and engaged in management and business growth strategies for Japanese companies in Southeast Asia, as well as outbound M&A and carve-out acquisitions. In 2022, together with Toyota Mobility Foundation, he will lead a demonstration experiment of sustainable mobility in Bali, Indonesia, and as a project leader, will be involved in all processes from negotiations with the local government to the introduction and operation of mobility. In 2023, he will serve as a moderator at the ASEAN-Japan Business Meeting hosted by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, discussing sustainability strategies for carbon neutrality in the mobility and energy industries in the region with CXOs from ASEAN countries. He plans to enroll in the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Master of Law) in 2024, where he will be researching related regulations and issues in cross-border M&A, and intellectual property business strategies. He is currently enrolled.
Kazuhide Ozasa 小篠一英
Communication Laboratory Director
I worked in the creative department at an advertising agency for 17 years, overseas assignments for 3 years, and human resources for 13 years. I am currently a business coach, counselor, human resources consultant, and training instructor. Since there is no right answer to communication, I help people find their own answer.
Hisashi Watanabe 渡邊久志
Director of the Children's Library
Born in Shimoda in 1956, retired after working at elementary and junior high schools for 37 years. Worked at the Japanese School in Dusseldorf from 1984 to 1986, and the Japanese School in London from 2018 to 2019. Organized the nature experience course "Dennou Shimoda Kurofune School" from 1999 to 2016. Opened a charity shop to support Ukraine in April 2022. Started a children's library in June 2023.
Makoto Aoki 青木真
Community Activist and Photographer
Born in Kyoto. After graduating from university, he moved to Australia. After staying at a permaculture farm as part of the WWOOF (worldwide opportunity on organic farms) program and working at a surfboard factory, he started working with Australian creators (designers, photographers, filmmakers, musicians, etc.) and established a local company. He returned to Japan in 2015 and established SHIN&CO. Ltd. Based in Tokyo, he works on various projects with creators from Japan and around the world to promote Japanese culture and its appeal overseas. He has produced a project to create 100% natural surfboards using lacquer with Japanese, American and Australian surfers, and an Australian store specializing in organic tea from Kyoto Uji. He directed a documentary film about the making of lacquer surfboards, which was screened at film festivals in the US, Canada, the UK, Costa Rica, Australia and Japan, and won documentary awards at the Toronto Beach Film Festival and the Florida Surf Film Festival.
Starting in November 2020, he began working as a member of the Shimoda City Regional Revitalization Team (central city revitalization), creating a community exchange space by utilizing vacant stores and promoting the charm of Shimoda through photography and video.
We purchased an abandoned farmland and a vacant house with forest in the Satoyama area of Shimoda. We are looking for partners to open an off-grid nature experience accommodation facility that is self-sufficient in water, energy, and food.
Shizuo Tsurusaki 津留崎鎮生
Owner of Kazemachi Shimoda and local activist
Born and raised in Shinjuku, Tokyo in 1974.
After working at an architect's office, managing a restaurant and a second-hand clothing store, and starting a renovation company, he moved to Shimoda in 2017 to shift from a "life of consumption" in Tokyo to a "life of creation" that can only be done in the countryside.
After moving, he renovated an old, vacant house by DIY and regenerated abandoned rice fields to grow rice. While practicing a lifestyle that utilizes natural resources such as firewood, solar heat, well water, and spring water, he writes about the charms of Shimoda and his experience of moving there. (He is currently serializing "A Journey to Think About Life" in the web magazine "Colocol" (Magazine House))
In 2023, he will be the chairman of the Shimoda City PTA Liaison Council and a member of the Shimoda Glocal CITY Project Ecotourism Project Team.
In 2024, a vacant property in downtown Shimoda, a workation facility once used by a Tokyo company, will be revitalized as a new accommodation and exchange hub, a complex called "Kazemachi Shimoda."
Takeshi Saito 斎藤武 たけちゃんマン
Izu Peninsula Geo Guide, Izu Geoschool Director
He fell in love with the nature of the Izu Peninsula and moved there 20 years ago. As an Izu Peninsula Geoguide, he explains the "why" of Izu's nature and culture with the background of earth activities, piquing the curiosity of people who visit Izu. He continues to do beach clean-up activities with the motto "Let's give a beautiful earth to our children 1,000 years from now", and opened the Izu Geoschool in 2022. He is working with friends who care for the earth.
Sean Lotus Tamura 田村ロータス翔音
Minamiizu Town Regional Revitalization Volunteer
Originally from Oregon, USA. As a volunteer for the Minamiizu Town local revitalization effort, he repurposes abandoned farmland to plant lemon trees and repairs abandoned houses. He accepts people from various countries as helpers.
Jun Yamasaki 山崎淳
graduate student
London Business School MBA candidate
Born in 1990. Graduated from Keio NY Academy (High School) in 2008 and Keio University Faculty of Law (Law Department) in 2013. Wanting to be involved in the overseas expansion of infrastructure, he joined Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), a Japanese policy financial institution, in 2014. At JBIC, he worked in the infrastructure and environment finance department, as a Singapore representative, and in the corporate planning department, where he was involved in structuring finance and developing systems for a wide range of fields, mainly in the infrastructure and environment sectors. He is currently studying for an MBA at London Business School (LBS) in the UK from 2022 (scheduled to graduate in 2024). He likes doing new things as a team.
Daichi Washizu 鷲津大地
Career Consultant, Fast Retailing HR Manager
Joined Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. in 2013. After gaining experience as a salesperson and store manager in a brick-and-mortar store, he was transferred to the Human Resources Department. As a business division HR manager, he is in charge of organizational strategy and system design. He complains a lot, but he enjoys working every day.
Akinao Ueda 上田明尚
Executive Officer and CFO, GENOVA Inc.
After spending nearly 15 years at securities firms such as JP Morgan, Mizuho, and Credit Suisse, where he was involved in equity investments, he moved to a medical IT company for the first time this year. He is currently devising business strategies as the Chief Financial Officer.
Shoichiro Matsuki 松木正一郎
Mayor of Shimoda City
Education: Graduated from Nirayama High School in March 1979. Graduated from the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Waseda University in March 1985. Completed the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in March 2004.
Main career history: April 1985: Joined a construction company April 1989: Joined Shizuoka Prefectural Government (Main career history after joining Shizuoka Prefectural Government)
・Dream Future Bureau International Horticultural Expo (Hamanako Flora Expo) Preparation Office ・Shimoda Civil Engineering Office Planning Section Chief, City Planning Section Chief ・Seconded to Izu City Mayor Policy Supervisor and Director of the Construction Department ・Chief of Landscape and Urban Planning Section, Transportation Infrastructure Department ・Shimoda Civil Engineering Office Chief ・Kamo Regional Bureau Deputy Director and Kamo Crisis Management Officer ・Retired from Shizuoka Prefectural Government in March 2020 ・July 5, 2020 to present position (2nd term)
Reina Yamamoto 山本玲奈
President of Hupro Co., Ltd.
Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keio University. Spent 18 years of his childhood abroad, including in Indonesia and the United States. Founded Hupro Inc. in 2015 after studying for the bar exam and participating in business contests while in college. Has successfully raised a total of 700 million yen to date and operates Hupro, a job-hunting platform specializing in the legal and administrative sectors. Has also been selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2022.
Takuma Ueno 上野卓磨
Prudential Life Insurance Company, Ltd.
Graduated from KONY in 2011. After graduating from university, he joined Rakuten, Inc., then moved to Prudential Life Insurance Co., Ltd. He is currently a sales manager, focusing on sales and management.
Fumiko Kikuchi 菊地ふみ子
Representative of Kikushita Juku and former teacher at Keio Academy of New York (senior high school)
After graduating from university, he entered the media world, and then continued his research on the history of comparative education and new education at Columbia University Graduate School in New York and the University of Paris, while conducting fieldwork by visiting creative schools in Europe, and obtaining a master's degree with a thesis titled "Educational Reforms during the Japanese Occupation and Their Aftermath."
He then launched a local newspaper in the United States with a friend, taught at Keio Academy of New York (senior high school) in the United States, and was involved in school management as it underwent reforms.
Passionate about producing talented people who can engage with the world with an international perspective, by providing opportunities for them to gain knowledge from experts on modern social issues, experience farming, and discuss freely, he held workshops in rural Bali, Indonesia, and Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. Last year, he opened the Kikushita Juku, and is continuing to carry out a wider range of activities.