Born in 1959 in Nagoya, he attended Waseda University and then joined the Bank of Japan. Involved in monetary policy operation and economic analysis, he was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in July 2001 (now in the second term). While working at the BoJ, he received Ph.D. in fiscal and monetary policies and reforms from Waseda University. Since July 2009, he is Senior Vice-Minister of Cabinet Office , in charge of financial system, postal reform, regional sovereignty, regulatory reform, economic and financial policy, and the abduction issue. Now serving as a guest professor at Waseda University and Chuo University Graduate School. He is author of "Public Policy in Macroeconomic policy" (Seibundo), "Japan Missing" (Open Knowledge Sha), "What was Koizumi reform" (co-author, Nihon Hyoron Sha), " Verification of widening of income gaps" (co-author, Nihon Keizai Shimbun Sha), etc.