I was born in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. After graduating from Hitotsubashi University (Faculty of Economics), I joined The Bank of Tokyo (currently MUFG Bank, Ltd.) in 1982. After being assigned to the Research Department and the Economic Research Department, I became a resident chief economist of the Economic Research Office (London) in 2000, a chief researcher of the Institute for International Monetary Affairs (IIMA) in 2004, and Director of the Economic Research Department of IIMA in 2010. I took up a post at Ritsumeikan University in 2011.

In research and education, I am interested in the international financial situation surrounding Japan (e.g., financial policies, trends of the exchange rate of the yen and international balance of payments, international position of the Tokyo market), the position of the U.S. dollar as a key currency and the future of the Chinese yuan, the advantages and disadvantages of the European monetary union, and the impact of technological innovation on financial systems. My main books are Dilemma of East Asian Monetary Union (Nikkei Publishing Inc., 2011) and Introduction to International Finance, New Edition (co-authored with Koji Sakuma, Yuhikaku Publishing Co., Ltd., 2020).

Issues, including the declining economic position of Japan in the world in terms of economic scale and per capita income and security risks of East Asia, are reflected in the international financial situation surrounding Japan. By analyzing such issues it is possible to examine policy issues faced by Japan and solutions. You can find out a lot from the viewpoint of money, which is a key thing after life itself.

Financial policies, financial systems, exchange rate policies, exchange rate systems, key currencies, international currencies, monetary integration, settlement systems, financial systems, monetary crises, financial crises