Researchers
By inviting leading experts in the field of economic security from within and outside dentsu and designing a system that allows for the dissemination of high-level information, DCER will support the business growth of Japanese companies from multiple perspectives.
LEADERSHIP
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Shigeru Kitamura
Executive Director
Former Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat - Mr. Kitamura joined the National Police Agency in 1980 after graduating from the Faculty of Law, the University of Tokyo. He has served as Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister and as Director of Cabinet Intelligence, and later became Secretary-General of the National Security Secretariat and Special Advisor to the Cabinet. He established the economic unit within the Secretariat and advanced Japan’s economic security policy. In December 2020, he received the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. After retiring from government service in July 2021, he was appointed as a member of the Expert Panel on Economic Security Legislation in November of the same year. He currently heads Kitamura Economic Security.
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Takashi Ito
Deputy Executive Director
Former Corporate Executive, Senior General Manager,
Corporate Economic Security Division, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation -
Mr. Ito joined Mitsubishi Electric in 1986 and spent two decades engaged in business planning,
operations, M&A, and industry restructuring in the semiconductor sector. He also led international
dispute resolution efforts, including trade frictions, cartel litigation, and intellectual property
lawsuits. Following a secondment to Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), he shifted his focus to
corporate management, serving in the Corporate Strategic Office on structural reforms and supporting
Keidanren vice chiarman on policy matters. In 2020, he became the first head of a dedicated Economic
Security Division established within a private corporation (appointed Corporate Executive in 2023).
He left Mitsubishi Electric in 2025 upon completion of his term as Corporate Executive and concurrently assumed his current role as Deputy Director of the Center. He also serves as advisor to several private companies and law firms, as well as to the Government of Japan.
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Arata Kuno
Research Director
Professor of International Economics, Faculty of International Relations, Asia University - Dr. Kuno specializes in trade policy and Japan’s economic security policy. Prior to his current positions, he served as Senior Economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd., and as Visiting Researcher in the Trade Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). He is also a Visiting Researcher at the Institute for International Trade and Investment (ITI). He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Keio University.
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Jun Osawa
Research Director
Senior Fellow, Nakasone Peace Institute - Specialties: International Security (Cyber Security and Strategic Assessment). He also serves as a General Manager, Cyber Situation Analysis Department, IT security Center, Information-Technology Promotion Agency (IPA) and as a Senior Fellow at Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He previously served as a Senior Fellow and Deputy Cabinet Counsellor of National Security Secretariat (NSS), a Research Fellow and a Senior Research Fellow at IIPS, a visiting fellow at Brookings Institution, a visiting scholar at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. He received his B.A., Keio University M.A., in Political Science from Keio University.
OUR EXPERTS
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Naoaki Hidani
Senior Fellow
Senior Fellow, Governance Architect Organization
