Who is Takashi Mikuriya?

Takashi Mikuriya(御厨貴) is one of the leading political scientists in Japan. He specializes in Japan's Political History, Public Policy, Oral History, Architecture and Politics, Media and Politics.

He is a professor of the Open University of Japan(OUJ). Before he took up a professorship at OUJ in 2012, he had been a professor of the University of Tokyo("Todai"), one of the leading universities in Japan. Some people were surprised when he left "Todai" at the age of 60, because the compulsory retirement age of "Todai" is 65. According to the article of the Asahi Shimbun Degital(http://www.asahi.com/national/intro/TKY201205010434.html), as the reason of leaving "Todai", Mikuriya said "Futility and flexibility are needed for study and research with dreams. "Todai" used to think much of futility and flexibility in the past. However, it is running the rat race now and lost futility and flexibility completely."

He is known to Japanese public as the host of "Jiji-Houdan"(Current Affair Talks), a Sunday morning political talk show on the TBS channel.

Here is a Video Report (Press Briefing): "Towards Reconstruction," Report by the Reconstruction Design Council (June 25, 2011). Takashi Mikuriya is one of the speakers.

[Link]
Takashi Mikuriya's Profile on the website of International Research Center for Japanese Studies
http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/research/faculty/staff2/mikuriya_e.html</ br>