Members of the VPIA Community
OKUHARA Sanae
Affiliation
- Director, Research Institute for Consumer Affairs, Nippon Association of Consumer Specialists
- Director, Accredited Personal Information Protection Organization
Administrative Office, Foundation for Promotion of Digital Economy and Community
Category of Viewpoints
Consumer
OKUHARA Sanae
Affiliation
- Director, Research Institute for Consumer Affairs, Nippon Association of Consumer Specialists
- Director, Accredited Personal Information Protection Organization
Administrative Office, Foundation for Promotion of Digital Economy and Community
Category of Viewpoints
Consumer
Biography
Sanae Okuhara holds an MBA in Finance from the Tama Graduate School of Business. She is qualified as PrivacyMark Assessor, Consumer Affairs Advisor, Consumer Affairs Consultant. She currently serves as Director, Accredited Personal Information Protection Organization Administrative Office, Japan Institute for Promotion of Digital Economy and Community (JIPDEC), Part-time Lecturer of Department of Management Science, College of Engineering, Tamagawa University, and Director of Research Institute for Consumer Affairs, Nippon Association of Consumer Specialists (NACS).
She has been a member of NACS since 2003 and in her current position since 2024. She represents consumer as a member of government, business and association councils and committees, and also acts as an external adviser to a wide range of industries.
Recent publications : “Civil and Consumer Law in the Future (II) – Cross-border Transactions and Personal Information Protection” (March, 2023)
KATIRAI Amelia
Affiliation
- Specially-Appointed Assistant Professor, Osaka University Research Centre on Ethical, Legal and Social Issues
Category of Viewpoints
Society and Ethics
KATIRAI Amelia
Affiliation
- Specially-Appointed Assistant Professor, Osaka University Research Centre on Ethical, Legal and Social Issues
Category of Viewpoints
Society and Ethics
Biography
Amelia Katirai received her Ph.D. degree in Human Sciences from Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University. Currently, she serves as Specially-Appointed Assistant Professor at Osaka University Research Centre on Ethical, Legal and Social Issues and Lecturer at International College, Osaka University.
Before her current position, she was involved in the interdisciplinary research on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare as a specially appointed researcher at The Osaka University UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education (joint project of Osaka University and Oxford University). She specialises in sociology and the social and ethical challenges of new science and technology.
SAKUMA Hiroshi
Affiliation
- Impact Officer at Global Shapers Community Osaka Hub, the World Economic Forum
- Specially Appointed Researcher at the Social Solution Initiative, Osaka University
Category of Viewpoints
Youth
SAKUMA Hiroshi
Affiliation
- Impact Officer at Global Shapers Community Osaka Hub, the World Economic Forum
- Specially Appointed Researcher at the Social Solution Initiative, Osaka University
Category of Viewpoints
Youth
Biography
Born in 1996, Hiroshi Sakuma has been engaged in the research on the new form of communication using avatars and agents. At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, he is in charge of the exhibition “Future Virtual Being” as a director of Osaka Pavilion. He is also a principal investigator of the research on the design of future societies, a joint research project between Osaka University and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
In addition to his current position as a chairperson of Shape New World Committee, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he is also a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan.
In 2021, he was appointed as a team leader for a research study on the Moonshot Research and Development Program. He was selected as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Japan 2023 and is a recipient of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award of the Japan Open Innovation Prize.
TSUNODA Mio
Affiliation
- Global Shapers Community Osaka Hub, the World Economic Forum
- CEO, Darajapan Inc.
Category of Viewpoints
International
TSUNODA Mio
Affiliation
- Global Shapers Community Osaka Hub, the World Economic Forum
- CEO, Darajapan Inc.
Category of Viewpoints
International
Biography
Born in 1994, Mio Tsunoda interned at Meiji Pharmaceutical University while a student, gaining experience in market research at medical institutions in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. Since then, she has dedicated herself to various projects in Tanzania, centred on public health, HR development, and job creation.
Her overarching goal is to “create a society where people can be autonomous regardless of their birth circumstances” and to “empower the local population.”
She is currently the CEO of Dapajapan, Inc. and a Co-Founder of Brotherhood Legacy Limited. She is also a licensed pharmacist.
Her accomplishments have been recognised with prestigious awards, including being named one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Japan 2021 and receiving the Professional Award at the Figaro Japon BWA Pitch Contest 2024.
NOBUTOMO Hiroyuki
Affiliation
- Project Researcher, Tokyo University Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies
Category of Viewpoints
Data Linkage
NOBUTOMO Hiroyuki
Affiliation
- Project Researcher, Tokyo University Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies
Category of Viewpoints
Data Linkage
Biography
After graduating from The University of Tokyo, Hiroyuki Nobutomo started his career at a think tank, consulting on business reform and R&D management. In 2000, he moved to Berlin, Germany, where he supported the launch of a joint venture and helped Japanese companies expand their businesses into Europe and the U.S. He then worked as a Planning Director at an advertising agency, where he led the development and execution of national and global marketing strategies.
Starting in 2015, he became involved in improving the efficiency of administrative systems and developing data distribution environments as an Adviser to the Government Chief Information Officer at the Cabinet Secretariat’s IT Strategy Office. In 2020, he also oversaw IT utilisation and public relations at the Office for Novel Coronavirus Disease Control, Cabinet Secretariat.
Currently, he is engaged in building a data utilisation platform at AMED, conducting research on healthcare data linkage at Keio University, and since 2022, researching AI and Large Language Model (LLM) regulations at the University of Tokyo.