The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Atsushi Sunami), in accordance with a decision by the Board of Councilors and Board of Trustees in a meeting held on June 20, 2025, has agreed to the following changes to its board membership, and appointed Nobuko Kayashima as executive director.
| President | Atsushi Sunami | Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Director | Eiji Sakai | General Affairs, Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
| Executive Director | Junko Chano | Program, Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
| Executive Director | Itsu Adachi | Program, Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
| Executive Director | Nobukatsu Kanehara | Program, Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
| Executive Director | Nobuko Kayashima | Program, Sasakawa Peace Foundation |
| Trustee | Akio Takahara | Distinguished Visiting Professor, Tokyo Woman's Christian University |
| Trustee | Kaoru Hattori | Attorney at Law |
| Auditor | Satoshi Sugawara | Executive Director, B&G Foundation |
|---|---|---|
| Auditor | Sadahiko Yoshimura | Certified Public Accountant |
| Name | New Position | Previous Position |
|---|---|---|
| Nobuko Kayashima | Executive Director, SPF | Senior Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) |
Profile:
Born in Kyoto in 1959, Nobuko Kayashima graduated from the Faculty of Letters at Kyoto University and joined the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where she focused on educational development programs. Over the course of her career, she held several senior leadership positions, including Senior Vice President, Director General of the Human Development Department, Director of the JICA Research Institute, and Chief Representative of the Bangladesh Office. She pursued further studies at the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning and completed the DEA program at Paris V University, later earning a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Development at Nagoya University.
She has played a pivotal role in designing and implementing Japan’s international education cooperation initiatives, while also contributing to academic research on educational development and the internationalization of higher education. Her work has been widely published in academic books and journals.
Since 2025, she has served as Executive Director of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, where she leads strategic dialogue and exchange programs with Asia, supports peacebuilding efforts, and oversees Japan-China exchange initiatives.
She concurrently serves as Senior Research Advisor at the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, Director of the Honda Foundation, Director of the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, Director of Care International Japan, and Councilor of the Broadcast Program International Exchange Center, among others.
Contact:
Public Relations Division, Planning and Coordination Department
Email: spfpr@spf.or.jp