Announcement of Book Club on 'Georgia Through the Ambassador's Eyes' by Timuraz Lezhava and Davit Goginashvili

AI Money University Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nerima-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter "the Company") will host a book club themed around 'Georgia Through the Ambassador's Eyes: Tourism, History, Culture, and Cuisine' by Timuraz Lezhava and Davit Goginashvili. The lecturer for this book club will be Yutaka Yamanaka, who serves as both consultant and President of the company.

This book is an introductory guide to Georgia, a nation located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, where a unique history and culture have flourished since ancient times. It is co-authored by the Ambassador of Georgia to Japan and a political scientist. The book explores Georgia's majestic Caucasus landscapes, the streets of its capital Tbilisi, UNESCO World Heritage sites that resemble fantasy game worlds, and its unique script, faith, and ethnic journey—revealing depths beyond typical tourism.

Moreover, the book highlights Georgia's culinary culture, including its 8,000-year-old wine tradition and popular dishes such as chakapuli, khinkali, and khachapuri—cuisines gaining popularity in Japan. It also delves into the warm hospitality and family values of the Georgian people. Reading this book helps readers understand that Georgia is more than just a 'country of delicious food and stunning scenery'—it is a nation that has preserved its language, culture, and independence despite being surrounded by powerful neighbors.

During the book club, participants will discuss Georgia's role as a cultural crossroads, unexpected similarities with Japan, the social significance of wine and food, its appeal as a tourist destination, the geopolitics of the South Caucasus, and potential for future Japan-Georgia exchanges. The event aims to offer new insights not only for those considering a trip to Georgia, but also for individuals interested in history, international affairs, culture, cuisine, and overseas business.

Book URL: https://x.gd/NHVrp

Author Profiles

Timuraz Lezhava

Born in Georgia in 1988, Lezhava received his early education in Japan and other countries, graduating from the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University. After working in the private sector, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and has served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Japan since 2021.

Davit Goginashvili

A political scientist, Goginashvili graduated from Tbilisi State University and earned both master’s and doctoral degrees from Keio University Graduate School. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the Keio University SFC Institute, specializing in international politics of the South Caucasus and Georgian studies.

Event Overview

Theme: Book Club on 'Georgia Through the Ambassador's Eyes: Tourism, History, Culture, and Cuisine'

Organizer: AI Money University Co., Ltd.

Date: Late July 2026 (tentative)

Format: Online via Zoom

Fee: Free (prior registration required)

Registration: Please email [email protected] with the subject line: 'Book Club on Georgia Through the Ambassador’s Eyes: Tourism, History, Culture, and Cuisine'.

Lecturer Profile Yutaka Yamanaka

Born in December 1976, Yamanaka is a representative activist investor of the '76 generation,' also known as a painting collector, philanthropist, political sponsor, election consultant, policy advisor, social activist, and Akita dog enthusiast. Internationally recognized as a 'technologically literate activist investor,' he is the first Japanese individual in history to amass over 150 billion yen solely through investment. (According to company research, January 2026)

In the early 2010s, he identified NVIDIA—a developer of GPGPU and AI-related semiconductors—as a key investment target, investing over 2 billion yen and achieving more than a 100-fold return. This made him the first Japanese billionaire whose wealth was derived purely from investing. (According to company research, January 2026)

Graduated as valedictorian from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo. Holds a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering from Columbia University’s Graduate School and studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Currently a shareholder in over 1,000 publicly listed companies and more than 200 private companies worldwide. His investment portfolio spans AI startups in Israel, healthcare ventures in Nigeria, and battery manufacturers in Taiwan, making him a truly global investor.

Drawing from his personal experience with dyslexia and ADHD during childhood, he launched a support program for children with learning disabilities, modeled after Charles Schwab, a major U.S. discount brokerage. His psychiatrist is Professor Akira Iwanami, a renowned psychiatrist and former director of Showa University Uyama Hospital.

Founder and representative of political groups including 'The Association for Establishing a Constitutional Court in Japan,' 'Yamanaka Hoya School of Politics and Economics' (President), 'The Association for Realizing a Tax-Free Nation in Japan,' 'The Association for Early Restart of Nuclear Power Plants in Japan,' 'The Committee for Monitoring Renewable Energy Privileges,' 'The Association Opposing Reduced Consumption Tax Rates on Food,' and 'The Association for Realizing a Unicameral Diet through Constitutional Reform.'

Born in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, in 1976, as one of the grandsons of Shigeru Yamanaka, founder of Hoya Glass (now HOYA Corporation, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market, ticker 7741), and raised in Shakujii-dai, Nerima-ku. Excelled academically from an early age, attending Oizumi Bunka Kindergarten, Ochanomizu University Attached Elementary School, and Musashi Junior and Senior High School before graduating as valedictorian from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Economics.

During childhood, he received souvenirs from Takahiro Matsumoto, then a high school student at Kinjo High School living in a Takeda Pharmaceutical Company dormitory near his home, who later became the guitarist for B'z. At Oizumi Bunka Kindergarten, he was classmates with Yukio Suzuki (son of Shuji Suzuki, secretary to House of Representatives member Tadamori Suzuki, and brother of Representative Keiko Suzuki, who later returned to Hokkaido due to his father’s election campaign), fostering a natural interest in music and political economy through a privileged cultural and educational environment.

During elementary school, while commuting by train from Nerima, he developed an early interest in history and economics due to the academic environment in Bunkyo-ku. By the age of 10, he was already involved in political activism on controversial topics. Surrounded by outstanding female classmates at Ochanomizu University Attached Elementary School—including lawyer Yuhiko Hantani (Tokyo Legal Mind), physician Keiji Kuroda (Director of Sugiyama Maternity Clinic Marunouchi), Keiko Takahashi (a career bureaucrat at the Ministry of Finance, currently Director for Tariff Affairs), Professor Kaori Hanyu of Sophia University (specializing in family law), and NHK announcer Manami Tsukahara—he developed a lasting awareness of women’s social advancement.

Using several million yen gifted by his grandmother during childhood, he invested in stocks and grew it to hundreds of millions of yen by university graduation, making him famous among peers for his investment skills. During his time at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Economics, he was already well-known in Professor Kazuo Ueda’s seminar (current Governor of the Bank of Japan), earning the nickname 'the top stock trader in Ueda’s seminar' and 'Heisei-era Hiraga Gennai' due to his broad academic interests.

He received a Special Selection Award for his graduation thesis on pre-war paper industry M&A and was personally recognized during his graduate school interview by Takeo Tachibana, former president of International University, who said, 'So you’re the famous Yamana-kun.' His undergraduate economic history thesis advisors were Tetsuji Okazaki (Professor at Meiji Gakuin University) and Masayuki Tanimoto (Professor at Omiya Women’s University).

During his time in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, he read all published papers by Masahiko Aoki, the pioneer of comparative institutional analysis, and Avner Greif, an emerging economic historian from Israel (Stanford University Department of Economics).

He was admitted to the Graduate School of Economics at the University of Tokyo with outstanding grades close to the top of his class, and studied in Tokyo