Japan Research Institute Appoints Professor Hugh Whittaker as External Advisor to Centre for Advanced Corporate Strategy

The Japan Research Institute (JRI; Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Jun Uchikawa) is pleased to announce that Hugh Whittaker, Professor at the University of Oxford and a specialist in the Japanese economy, has been appointed as an external advisor to its Centre for Advanced Corporate Strategy as of May 2026.

In the face of increasing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the Centre supports top management in anticipating the future, building effective scenarios, and driving corporate transformation to adapt quickly and flexibly to rapidly changing business environments. By adding an external expert perspective, JRI aims to make these initiatives more essential and effective. We have appointed Professor Whittaker, who possesses deep knowledge of the Japanese economy and a broad track record in researching Japanese companies, as an external advisor. Going forward, Professor Whittaker will provide regular advice on the Centre's activities and is scheduled to participate in various events hosted by the Centre.

About Hugh Whittaker Field of Specialization: Japanese economy and comparative economic sociology

Biographical Highlights: - Graduated from International Christian University, obtained a PhD from Imperial College London (Industrial Sociology) - Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, then taught at Cambridge University, Doshisha University, and the University of Auckland (New Zealand) - Professor at the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies at Oxford University, Director of the MSc and DPhil programs in Japanese Studies, Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford

Recent Publications: - "Building a New Economy: Japan's Digital and Green Transformation" (Oxford University Press, May 2024) - "New Ways of Creating Economy: Toward 'Human-Centric' Japanese Capitalism" (Toyo Keizai Inc., October 2025)

Comment from Professor Hugh Whittaker: "I am pleased and honored to be working with JRI’s Centre for Advanced Corporate Strategy, which places emphasis on combining Intelligence, Strategy, and Corporate Transformation. In a turbulent geopolitical environment, the ability to recognize—and where possible anticipate—external threats as well as opportunities, and to respond strategically and operationally, is vital. The same applies to rapid changes in technologies, and physical and social environments. The new centre will provide a great venue to bring together leading corporate clients to examine these issues, and to operationalize the findings."

(Reference) About the Centre for Advanced Corporate Strategy Established in October 2025 to support corporate transformation, enabling firms to respond quickly and flexibly to rapidly changing business environments as global political, economic, and technological innovations (typified by IT) have significant impacts on business and management. The Centre focuses on Strategy, Transformation, and identifying and analyzing starting points for structural industrial and corporate shifts, as well as scenario planning.