“Top experts in politics and business will carve out your future”
The Dream Platform brings together some of the top players in politics and business. By utilizing this strong network, we will support companies to ensure that they are on the “rule-making side”.
Flexible team formation for three stages
Fellow
Masafumi Ishii
Former Ambassador to Indonesia (Special Visiting Professor, Gakushuin University)
Born on November 3, 1957 in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. After graduating from Hiroshima Gakuin Junior High School and High School, he entered the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo in 1976. After graduating, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 1980.
During his time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he served as Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Director of the Planning Division of the Foreign Policy Bureau, Director of the Southeast Asia Division II of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, Deputy Minister for Global Issues, Director of the International Law Bureau, amongst other positions. Overseas, he has served as Minister of Political Affairs at the Embassy of Japan in the United States, Minister of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in the United Kingdom, Ambassador to Belgium and NATO Government of Japan, and Ambassador to Indonesia. In December 2020, he returned to Japan after serving as Ambassador to Indonesia for three years and eight months, and retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 2021.
Currently, he is a special visiting professor at Gakushuin University.
Yasuharu Yano
Former Vice-Minister of Finance, current Advisor to the Ministry of Finance
Born in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1962. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Hitotsubashi University in March 1985. In the same year, he joined the Ministry of Finance and was assigned to the Documents Division of the Minister’s Secretariat.
After working as a research fellow at Harvard University, he served as assistant director of the Securities Department in 1994. After serving as Planning Officer for Personnel Relations of the Minister’s Secretariat, Planning Officer for Principal Budget Bureau, and Chief Tax Planning Officer, he served Nobutaka Machimura as Secretary to the Cabinet Secretary in 2007. Subsequently, he served as Secretary to the Chief Cabinet Secretary under Takeo Kawamura. During the Democratic Party of Japan administration, he contributed to the establishment of a three-party agreement to raise the consumption tax rate to 8% and 10%. He then served as Secretary to the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and Deputy Director in charge of the Main Tax Bureau. In July 2017, he was appointed Chief of the Minister’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance.
In July 2019, he was appointed Director General of the Main Tax Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, and on July 20, 2020, he was appointed Director of the Main Budget Bureau, and in 2021 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance. In 2022, he retired as Deputy Minister of Finance and became an advisor to the Ministry of Finance. Currently, he is also an advisor to Hitotsubashi University and a special advisor to Japan Life Insurance Company.
Tsutomu Funabashi
Born in 1970. After graduating from Sophia University in 1994, he joined ITOCHU Corporation and worked on ODA projects. In 2000, he founded Will Seed Co., Ltd., which has been involved in more than 500 companies, 600 municipalities, 600 schools, 60,000 students, and businesses that provide experiential and participatory educational programs for children. In 2009, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He is a founding member of three non-profit organizations, Table for Two, Beyond Tomorrow, and MORIUMIUS. In 2014, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the public-private collaboration project to create study abroad were launched. He launched Study Abroad Japan and became a project director. He is currently an executive advisor. In addition, he serves as the representative director of the NPO Leapfor, a director of Satoba University, and a councilor of the regional and educational attractiveness platform. He is the author of the book “Tobitate!
Representative Profile
Hideki Makihara – CEO
Former Minister of Justice and former member of the House of Representatives, former Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, former Deputy Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, and former Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment.
Leveraging our expertise in international legal affairs and policymaking, we support you as a strategic partner to solve domestic and international issues.
After graduating from Azabu High School and the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, he worked as a public relations lawyer on many international cases. Studied at Georgetown University School of Law and is an international lawyer (New York, Japan). He joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2003 and after a number of successful international trade negotiations, became a member of the House of Representatives for the first time in 2005. Since being elected, he has promoted policies in a wide range of fields such as law, economics, and welfare, and has been at the forefront of Japan’s legal system reform and international economic policy.
Major achievements
– Legal system reform and legislative activities
Promotion of animal welfare policies: Established the Animal Welfare Parliamentary League for the Aim of Zero Slaughter of Dogs and Cats, and revised the Animal Welfare Act in 2019.
Measures against child poverty: Established the Parliamentarians’ League for the Promotion of Measures to Combat Child Poverty and amended related laws in 2019.
Promotion of the Joint Parenting System: Established the “Parliamentary League for Joint Parenting” and achieved the revision of the Civil Code in 2024.
– International Negotiations and Economic Policy
In Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Prime Minister Abe and the Crown Prince of the UAE, a new oil stockpile agreement was signed, boosting orders for large-scale natural gas projects by Japan companies in Qatar.
As State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, he spoke as a representative of the Japan government at the Davos Forum. He has led international discussions on DFFT (free flow of data) and economic policy.
Was the chief negotiator in the final negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
– Crisis response and administrative reform
He spearheaded economic measures and the procurement of medical supplies in the early days of the Corona Pandemic. In cooperation with various ministries and agencies, he implement employment measures and industrial support measures.
As Minister of Justice and Lead Director of the Legal Affairs Committee, he led the abolition of the technical internship system and the establishment of a training and employment system.
– Social Contribution and Regional Development
Establishment of Beyond Tomorrow: Launched a leadership development support program for children affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Infrastructure development in the constituency: Promote the opening of the Ueno-Tokyo Line, road widening, safety measures for sidewalks and railroad crossings, flood control projects, etc.
Member
Mine Hario – Director
After graduating from Shirayuri Gakuen Junior and Senior High School, she graduated from Keio University’s Faculty of Letters, Department of French Literature.
She has extensive experience in domestic and international business, brand marketing and policymaking.
After working in the corporate sector for 20 years, she co-founded DreamPlatform Inc. in December 2024. Currently, as a director of the company, she oversees strategic planning and external affairs operations. She holds the qualification of a parliamentary secretary in charge of policy and a qualification as a real estate broker.
After graduating from university, she worked for a luxury jewelry brand representing Japan, where she was in charge of embassies and overseas VIPs, and where she gained experiences in global negotiations. Afterwards, she was in charge of marketing at a foreign-affiliated luxury brand and engaged in penetration strategy planning and PR management in the Japan market.
Through overseas businesses, she realized the issues of Japan society and transitioned to the world of politics to help spearhead change. Engaged in policy planning and coordination work as a secretary to Mizuho Onuma, a member of the House of Councillors, and a public secretary to Hideki Makihara, a member of the House of Representatives. She was in charge of negotiations and coordination in the Diet and Kasumigaseki, and also served as a secretary to the Minister of Justice.
Together with Makihara, she launched DreamPlatform Co., Ltd., and as a director, she has led the formation of a team and on-site operations to solve customer problems, and has played a role as a bridge to realize the customer’s dreams. In her private life, she is the mother of twins.
Sachiko Takahashi – Public Relations/Public Affairs Consultant
After graduating from Keio Junior High School and Women’s High School, she graduated from Keio University’s Faculty of Commerce.
After graduating from university, she worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., where she engaged in marketing promotion for the anime business, which included experiences launching a number of new events and new business models for the company. Subsequently, at Brand Vision Co., Ltd., she was engaged in the rebranding of a general consumer goods manufacturer and company-wide marketing reform under the direct supervision of Masahiko Uotani, the current chairman of Shiseido. After working at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC and LIFULL Co., Ltd., in 2020 she took on a new challenge in the form of the AI human resource development project and the business contest for technical college students at the Japan Deep Learning Association.
In 2024, she started her own company which has supported the growth of a wide range of companies such as the entertainment industry, disability welfare, and human resource development industry as a business producer. She will join the Dream Platform in 2025 and will be responsible for analyzing and proposing client needs, building relationships with stakeholders, and supporting negotiations. In her private life, she is a mother of four children.