Profiles

in Japanese

Researchers

Takanobu AikawaSenior Researcher

Takanobu Aikawa joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2016. Previously he was at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting and conducted research and consulting on the forestry industry. Spurred by the Great East Japan Earthquake, he began to engage in a variety of bioenergy projects, mainly focusing on woody biomass. From early on, he has paid attention on bioenergy sustainability issues, and since April 2019 he has been a member of the Bioenergy Sustainability Working Group at the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. He holds his master’s degree in forest ecology from the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University and received a doctorate in agricultural studies on human resources development policy in the forest management at the Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University.
At Renewable Energy Institute, he specializes in bioenergy policies and focuses on research on sustainability of woody biomass, the development of medium to long-term strategies and is also responsible for collaborating with local governments for promoting renewables.
Emi IchiyanagiResearcher

Emi Ichiyanagi joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2015. She specializes in the German energy policy and citizen participation. She obtained a master's degree in Public and Private Environmental Management at Free University of Berlin.
At Renewable Energy Institute, her research focuses on Germany's renewable energy and climate change policies and is also responsible for delivering latest news on Japan's current energy situation to the Institute's overseas network.
Masaya IshidaSenior Manager, Business Alliance

Masaya Ishida joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2017 to lead research on renewable energy deployment for business activities. He is responsible for organizing the Renewable Energy Users Network (RE-Users), a network of corporate energy users to accelerate renewable energy procurement, and the RE-Users Regional Alliance, a joint initiative with CDP-Worldwide Japan aiming to disseminate renewable energy development and procurement practices across local regions in Japan. He is a member of Technical Advisory Group at RE100 from September 2021.
Prior to joining the Institute, he was Executive Producer at “Smart Japan,” a leading online media in Japan focusing on renewable energy deployment and electric power market reformation. He has held senior positions at several technology information media and internet businesses, including “EE Times Japan” and “Nikkei Computer.” He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Information Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Toshikazu IshiharaSenior Research Fellow

Toshikazu Ishihara joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2021. Previously, he worked for Sanyo Electric, where he took part in the Moonlight project, a government-sponsored R&D project investing in the development of new energy and energy efficient technologies, to develop high thermal load and low emission combustors. He was also responsible for the development of thermal activated heat pump using natural refrigerant and CO2 heat-pump water heaters and refrigeration systems. In 2012, he joined NEDO and was responsible for driving energy-saving technology projects in both the industrial and commercial sectors, and managed public offering R&D projects. From 2015, he joined Panasonic Corporation to work on joint research projects on energy-efficient healthy homes, and helped planning mid to long-term R&D projects for energy management aimed to realize a decarbonized and resource-recycling society.
In 1982, he obtained his M.S. in Energy Conversion Engineering from the Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences at Kyushu University. He holds a P.E. Jp (Mechanical Engineering) and is a Qualified Energy Manager.
At Renewable Energy Institute, his research focuses on carbon neutrality in the heavy chemical industry and green hydrogen strategy.
Keiji KimuraSenior Research Fellow

Keiji Kimura joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2013 and assumed his current position from 2022. He is also Associate Professor at Osaka Sangyo University. In 2007, he completed his doctorate course at the graduate school of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University and specializes in environmental economics and renewable energy policy theory.
At Renewable Energy Institute, his research focuses on renewable energy policies and its institutional challenges and power generation cost analysis. He is also responsible for compiling renewable energy statistics on the Institute’s website.
Seiichiro KimuraSenior Researcher

Seiichiro Kimura (Ph.D., P.E.jp) joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2018. Specializes in cost-benefit analysis, techno-economic analysis with market penetrating simulation in the energy system. He started his career at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2004, and was engaged in development of hydrogen energy until 2010. After working for International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research of Kyushu University, he became an associate at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management between 2014 and 2018, where he was engaged in research on interconnecting electric power systems with the aim of increasing energy self-sufficiency through its own resources and eventually becoming a nation capable of suppling energy to other countries (energy-exporting nation). He received B.Sc. from Tokyo University of Science, M.Sc. from Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Ph.D. from Kyushu University.
At Renewable Energy Institute, his research focuses on interconnectors and market design for electricity system reform. He has also been responsible for formulating visualized charts and maps for the Power Supply/Demand and Power Flow of Interregional Interconnections data on the Institute’s website.
Mika KudoSenior Researcher / Lawyer

Mika Kudo joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2016. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, she worked as a law practitioner from 1999. She started her career as a researcher in the Research Office for Judicial Reform of Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) in 2002 when the Japanese government engaged in the judicial reform from 2001. She was in charge of research on the implementation of Saiban-in (lay judge or jury) system, reform of criminal procedure, law school system, the social impact of increasing in-house counsels, as well as judicial systems and researches in foreign countries related to those issues. While working as a staff attorney for JFBA for over 10 years, she also served in the Civil Legal Aid Division of the Japan Legal Support Center in 2010.
At Renewable Energy Institute, her research focuses on interconnectors, market design for electricity system reform and the institutional challenges for renewable energy such as offshore wind.
Yuko NishidaSenior Manager, Climate Change

Yuko Nishida joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2017. She specializes in policy making of sustainable development in cities, sustainable architecture and urban planning. Before joining the Institute, she worked for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on climate policies and international environmental cooperation projects. She has collaborated with C40 cities, the global network of mega-cities committed to addressing climate change, and was responsible for compiling the publication of “Urban Efficiency,” a series of case studies on energy-saving measures for urban constructions. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Waseda University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
At Renewable Energy Institute, she is responsible for medium to long-term strategy development and provides support for energy transition projects in the building sector as well as climate change measures for non-state actors such as local governments and the business sector.
Mika OhbayashiDirector

Mika Ohbayashi is Director at Renewable Energy Institute since its foundation in August 2011. Before joining the Institute, from 2010 to 2011, she worked in Abu Dhabi for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as Policy and Project Regional Manager for Asia Oceania. Prior to that, she worked at the British Embassy to Japan as Climate Change Project Advisor from 2008 to 2009, and served as Director at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies from 2000 to 2008. She started her career in the energy field by joining the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center in 1992. In 2017, she was awarded the ISES Global Leadership Award in Advancing Solar Energy Policy - in honour of Hermann Scheer by the International Solar Energy Society.
Teruyuki OhnoExecutive Director

Teruyuki Ohno joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2013. He has actively participated in the policy formation of Japan’s climate change measures as a member of the subcommittee of carbon pricing and others led by the Ministry of the Environment Japan. Before joining the Institute, he was Director General of the Bureau of Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government for three years, covering a broad range of environmental issues including energy, climate change, waste management, pollution control, natural environment, and sustainable development. His notable achievements include the “No Dirty Diesel Vehicle Strategy in Tokyo” which reduced the air pollution and PM emissions, and implementation of Japan’s first Cap-and-Trade Program in Tokyo in 2008, involving the industries and successfully building a grand consensus. His active leadership in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency led to the formation of the foundation of Tokyo’s energy policy. He also serves as part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo, Adviser for ICLEI Japan, Board Member of WWF Japan and Counselor to the Governor on Zero Emission Tokyo and Environmental Policy. He received the Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award from the California Air Resources Board in 2014. His publications include "Energy Strategies of Municipality Governments" (Iwanami, 2013, Japanese) among others.
Yuri OkuboSenior Researcher

Yuri Okubo joined the Institute in 2015 as Climate Change Policy Advisor to develop and implement the Institute’s strategy to promote renewable energy from the climate change policy perspectives. She started her career working for a NGO (CASA) in Japan and became a research assistant at the Department of Political Science of the University of Zurich where she was engaged in research projects on climate and sustainable development which were funded by the European Parliament, the German Federal Environment Agency and UK organizations. She joined the Foundation myclimate to set up its Japanese affiliation and support the global network. She obtained a master’s degree in International Relations at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies.
At Renewable Energy Institute, she specializes on climate change policies in general and her research focuses on global and domestic coal power business policies and trends. She also takes the lead for joint studies with international organizations.
Tetsuo SaitouSenior Research Fellow

Tetsuo Saitou joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2019. He started his career at Fuji Electric in 1971 designing control systems for hydroelectric power stations and electric grid systems, and from 1996 he was responsible for driving EPC for wind power plants. He served as a Board of Director of the Japan Wind Power Association since its establishment in 2001. He joined Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-POWER) from 2007 where he was involved in developing wind power generation business. As the Japan Wind Power Association became a new organization in 2010, he undertook research on the potential of wind power generation in Japan formulating the targets for 2050 and recommendations for achieving the targets on its findings. From 2015, he became a Project Researcher at the University of Tokyo, Institute of Industrial Science, where he dedicated his time on research on maintaining power quality and improvement using wind power forecasting and control functions of wind power plants. Since 2005, he has been a member of various committees related to wind power plants and electric grid systems at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Environment (MOE), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), among others.
At Renewable Energy Institute, his research focuses on solar and wind power curtailment data analysis and interconnectors.
Ryutaro SameshimaSenior Research Fellow

Ryutaro Sameshima joined Renewable Energy Institute in April 2022. He has over 20 years of experience in Banking, especially in FX and Interest rate trading and Derivative business in US as well as in Australia. After having worked in a couple of overseas System Integrators in Japan, he joined a PPS in 2011. He worked as Managing Executive and Chief Risk Officer to manage PPS business by creating and running Risk Management environment, especially in line with the development of Power Market as well as Regulations in Japan.
His area of interest lies in future developments in electricity system reform, in particular, "Market integration" and is confident that Renewable Energy business will be sought to be integrated into Market functionality which is not necessarily developed sufficiently in Japan today. His publications include "Risk Management in Power Trading: Practical Applications in the Japanese Power Business" (Energy Forum, 2016, English) among others. Graduated from Faculty of Economics, Tokyo University.
Akihiro SandoSenior Researcher

Akihiro Sando joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2022. He specializes in environmental and regional economics. Since 2012, as a local resident of Obama Onsen, Nagasaki Prefecture, he has been involved in small-scale geothermal power generation projects led by the local community. From 2014, he took part in the Research Project on Renewable Energy Economics at the Graduate School of Economics at Kyoto University as a post graduate student. From 2018, he carried out research on the economic analysis of carbon pricing as a researcher at the Kyoto Institute of Economic Research (KIER). From 2019, he was appointed as a member of JOGMEC Geothermal Resource Development Advisory Committee (Regional Economy). In 2021, he obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from Kyoto University and wrote his doctoral thesis on "Regional Economic Value-Added Analysis for Renewable Energy Coexisting with Local Communities". He co-authored "22 Jobs to Change the Energy World" (2015) and "Using Geothermal Energy in Harmony with Communities" (2018).
At Renewable Energy Institute, his main research focus is offshore wind.
Hiroshi TakahashiSenior Research Fellow

Hiroshi Takahashi specializes in public policy and energy policy. He obtained a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, MA, USA and a doctoral degree from the University of Tokyo, and currently serves as Professor at Tsuru University. His former career includes Deputy Director at IT Policy Office of Cabinet Secretariat, Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo, and Research Fellow at Fujitsu Research Institute. He has actively participated in the policy formation of Japan’s electricity system reform and renewable energy deployment as a member of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy as well as a special advisor to the Cabinet Office. He is the author of "Energy Policy Studies" (2017, Iwanami Shoten) and “Market Liberalization of Electric Utilities” (2011, Nihon Keizai Shimbun Shuppansha), among others.
Tatsuya WakeyamaSenior Research Fellow

Tatsuya Wakeyama (Ph.D.) is Associate Professor at the School of Environment and Society, Tokyo Institute of Technology from 2022. Prior to that he was Associate Professor at Kyushu University Platform of Inter/Transdisciplinary Energy Research. He joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2012, and is Senior Research Fellow since 2018. He specializes in energy scenario analysis with the case of high integration of renewables by using AMPL: A Modeling Language for Mathematical Programming, as well as resource engineering, geothermal energy and geographic information system (GIS). He holds a Ph.D. from Kyushu University on renewable energy potential evaluation by using GIS.
At Renewable Energy Institute, he commits to the research projects on domestic/foreign grid system managements including interconnectors.
Jiyang WangSenior Research Fellow

Jiayang Wang joined Renewable Energy Institute as Research Associate in 2018 after which he became Senior Researcher and assumed his current position from 2022. He is also Assistant Professor at Aichi Gakuin University. In 2010 he started his research on renewable energy development in China, and in 2013 he joined a project on “Determinant Factors of Dispersed Photovoltaic Installation among China companies” supported by the Chinese government. In 2017 he was a Project Researcher at the Policy Alternatives Research Institute, University of Tokyo, where he worked on multi-model assessment of long-term climate policy, as well as developments in renewable energy in China. He obtained a Ph.D. from Nagoya University in 2017. He specializes in environmental economics.
At Renewable Energy Institute, his research focuses on energy transition and expansion of renewable energy in China.
Romain ZisslerSenior Researcher

Romain Zissler joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2014. He specializes in studies on the progresses of renewable energy deployment around the world. He is also the lead country contributor for France in the Renewables Global Status Report, a flagship publication of the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21). He obtained a doctoral degree in energy science and engineering at Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2021, and a master degree in energy finance at Paris-Dauphine University in 2012.
At Renewable Energy Institute, his research focuses on studies on the current global efforts towards carbon neutrality. He is also responsible for compiling international energy statistics on the Institute’s website.

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