Invited Speakers

After graduating from University of Tsukuba's School of Art and Design (majoring in history and philosophy of art) in 1986, Mr. Sato worked in the Board of Education of Hitachi City in Ibaraki Prefecture, before joining the Prime Minister's Office (today's Cabinet Office) in 1988. After serving as a specialist in the Imperial Household Agency's Board of the Ceremonies and in the International Affairs Division of the Secretariat of Science Council of Japan, he was assigned to the Office of the Director-General for Policies on Cohesive Society in 2006 where he was involved in the issue of the nurture of youths. Currently, he is responsible for promoting food education and from 2009, for promoting barrier-free and universal design. In November 2009, he gave a keynote speech at the Congress on the Creation of an Inclusive and Accessible Community in Asia and the Pacific: A Town Easy to Live in is a Town Easy to Visit, which was jointly sponsored by ESCAP and Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture.