Corporate Advisers

Masaaki Terashi

■Field of Specialisation

Geotechnical Engineering

■Assumption of office:
1 Mar 2010

■Professional Biography
He has held professional positions at the Port and Harbour Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport and at Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
From 1999, he concurrently served for six years as a Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of International Development Engineering, Institute of Science Tokyo.
He has also served in several prominent academic and professional roles, including Chair of the Committee on Geo‑Environmental Engineering of the Science Council of Japan, Vice President of the Japanese Geotechnical Society, and Member of the Board of Directors of the International Press‑in Association. He has been actively engaged in the activities of international academic societies, including the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

Takao Kishida

■Field of Specialisation
Geotechnical Engineering

■Assumption of office
1 Apr 2018

■Professional Biography
・ Ground and basic consultant
・ NPO Blue Earth board member
・ Doctor of Engineering
・ Professional engineer (JPN)
・ First-class architect
・ Professional Engineer for Geotechnical Evaluation

Ikuo Tohata

■Field of Specialisation
・Geotechnical Engineering,
・Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

■Assumption of office:
1 Mar 2025

■Professional Biography
He was appointed Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo in March 2015. Since April of the same year, he has served as Academic Officer and Director at Tobata Architects & Engineers, Chairman of Seirinsha Co., Ltd., Visiting Professor at Kanto Gakuin University, and Technical Advisor to Chuo Kaihatsu Corporation.
He served as President of the Japanese Geotechnical Society until May 2016 and as Vice President for Asia of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering until September 2017.

Kuninori Matsuda

■Field of Specialisation
・The former Soviet Union
・The United States
・Diplomacy
・Security / national security
・International economy / international economics

■Assumption of office
1 Jan 2026

■Professional Biography
He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 1982. He has served in a wide range of diplomatic posts, including First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in the United States; Counselor at the Embassy of Japan in Russia; Director of the International Press Division of the Minister’s Secretariat; Director of the Russia Division in the European Affairs Bureau; Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Israel; Consul-General of Japan in Detroit; Consul-General of Japan in Hong Kong; and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan and to Ukraine.
He currently serves as Vice President of the Japan-Pakistan Association and as a member of the Advisory Board of DTEK, among other roles.

As of 14 January 2026