BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board of directors is decision-making body of IHRA.

Board of Directors As of July, 2025

Chairman

Chairman
Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute, JapanChairman
Japan Maritime Center, Japan

Masafumi Shukuri

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Chairman

Mr. Shukuri is the Chairman of the International High-speed Rail Association since 2014.
He entered the service of the Ministry of Transport (presently the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) ) in 1974 and has held many important positions since then. Before the Vice-Minister of　MLIT appointment from 2008 to 2012, he had been working as First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia, as the Private Secretary to the Minister of Transport, as the Counsellor of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, as the Director-General of the Road Transport Bureau, as the Director-General of the Policy Bureau, and as the Deputy Vice-Minister of the Minister’s Secretariat of MLIT.
Presently, he is the Visiting Professor of the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo since 2013, the Chairman of the Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (JTTRI) since 2018, and the Chairman of the Japan Maritime Center since 2021.

Vice Chairman

Outside Director
Central Japan Railway Company, Japan

Joseph P. Schmelzeis. Jr.

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Vice Chairman

Mr. Schmelzeis started his career with Bain & Company in 1984, and has since served in positions including: Vice President, Head of Corporate Card, Asia-Pacific, American Express International; COO and Representative Director, Japan, Fontworks International; Venture Partner, Crimson Ventures; Founder, JPS International, K.K. (owner/Investor in consulting, real estate, and hedge fund businesses); SEGA Corporate Director, Entertainment Park Division Manager, SEGA-SAMMY Holdings K.K.; and Senior Advisor to the Ambassador, U.S. Embassy, Tokyo (2018-2021). In addition to his position in IHRA, he serves currently as Country Manager (Japan), IJW Whiskey/Cedarfield G.K.; Senior Advisor, The Northeast Maglev (TNEM); Corporate Advisor, Quantum Accounting K.K.; and he is an external board member for DENSO Corporation, Central Japan Railway Company, and Hitachi Construction Machinery. He graduated from Yale University and Harvard Business School.

Director

Senior Executive Officer
East Japan Railway Company, Japan

Shunzo Miyake

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Director

Joined East Japan Railway Company in 1990. Deputy General Manager, JRE Marketing Department, General Manager, JRE Department of IT & Suica Business Development, General Manager, JRE International Department, General Manager, JRE International Affairs Headquarters (Planning), Executive Officer, General Manager, JRE International Affairs Headquarters, Executive Officer, Planning & International Relations Department Director, JRE International Affairs Headquarters and Senior Executive Officer, Director General of JRE International Affairs Headquarters from June 2023.

Corporate Officer & Executive Vice President
Central Japan Railway Company, Japan

Manabu Ishibashi

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Director

Joined Central Japan Railway Company in 1989. After Corporate Officer & Deputy Director General of the Corporate Planning Division, General Manager of the Information Systems Department; Corporate Officer & Deputy Director General of the General Technology Division, General Manager of the Technology Planning Department; Corporate Executive Officer & Deputy Director General of the Corporate Planning Division, General Manager of the Investment Planning Department; and Corporate Officer & Executive Vice President from 2024.

Senior Executive Officer
West Japan Railway Company, Japan

Keiya Orinaka

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Director

Joined West Japan Railway Company in 1990. After Director & Senior General Manager of Sanyo Shinkansen Operations Division, Railway Operations Headquarters; Executive Officer & Director General of Shinkansen Department, Railway Operations Headquarters, Senior Executive Officer & Director General of Shinkansen Department, Railway Operations Headquarter; and Senior Executive Officer, General Manager, Shinkansen Department, Railway Operations Headquarters & Deputy Manager, Railway Operations Headquarters from 2025.

Director, Managing Corporate Officer
Kyushu Railway Company, Japan

Michiya Sadakari

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Director

Joined Kyushu Railway Company in 1992. After General Manager of Electrical Engineering Department of Railway Operations HQ, Corporate Officer and General Manager of Oita Regional Office, Senior Corporate Officer and General Manager of Safety Creation Department of Railway Operations HQ, and Senior Corporate Officer and General Manager of Engineering Department of Railway Operations, Director and Managing Corporate Officer and Director General of Railway Operations HQ from June 2025.

Vice President
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, Taiwan

Eric Cheng

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Director

In 1995, he started his railway career by managing maintenance operations for Taiwan’s first MRT line. He held various positions as a plant director, managing signal, power, and facilities E&M maintenance at Metro Taipei.
In 2006, he transitioned to the THSRC, serving as AVP in charge of electrification, OCS, and track systems. With extensive experience in maintenance management, he was appointed head of the core signaling and communications department in 2019. From 2022, he was promoted to head of the Systems Research & Development Division, overseeing the next-generation high-speed trains associated projects and core engineering projects.

Auditor

Sosuke Ishida

Section Manager
HSR Project Sect.
Sumitomo Corporation, Japan

Takuya Yamakawa

Deputy Head of Asia & Japan Business, Hitachi, Ltd.
Railway Systems BU, Japan

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