As a management organization posted on the website of the Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as a company specializing in unmanned aerial vehicles, we will form a business alliance with an existing drone manufacturing company, mainly in the business of issuing pilot licenses to learn the knowledge and skills to safely fly unmanned aerial vehicles, and will spread the sales, repair, maintenance (after-sales service) of drones, photography, disaster prevention crime prevention, and delivery transportation using drones. We have established our guidelines mainly for advisors, aviation officials, and drone instructors who have been involved in aircraft agencies for many years.
List of Officers
Zenjiro Kaneko
Chairperson of Japan Drone Organization
After graduating from the School of Law at Hitotsubashi University, Kaneko joined the Ministry of Home Affairs (now the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications). He was concurrently in the Ministry of Home Affairs Minister’s Office and was the Deputy Minister’s Secretariat. He was elected to the House of Representatives in the 42nd and 44th general elections. As a representative of the Liberal Democratic Party; Vice Chairperson of the National Assembly Countermeasures Committee; Chairperson of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Deputy Chairperson of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Director of the House of Representatives Economy, Trade, and Industry Committee; Vice-Chairperson of the Welfare Association Committee; Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Commerce, Industry and SMEs; and Vice-Chairperson of the National Land and Construction Association Committee, Kaneko tackled many issues passionately. He has served as Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Health, Labor and Welfare. In 2020, Kaneko became Chairperson of Japan Drone Organization.
Dai Sata
Japan Drone organization Executive Director
Sata graduated from the Faculty of Law and Literature, Ryukyu University in 2017. In the same year, he joined Japan Drone Organization. He is in charge of filming and training for UAV. His leadership improved the business performance of this department and Sata became the Executive Director in March 2020.
Akira Harada
Japan Drone organization Executive Vice President
Harada graduated in 1970 from Keio University Faculty of Economics, and joined Japan Airlines as a DC8, DC10, and B747 co-pilot; DC10, B767, and B737 captain; flight instructor; and inspection pilot. In 2001, he became a B767 crew manager. Harada was promoted in 2004 to Japan Transocean Air Managing Director B737 Captain. In 2010 he retired from Japan Airlines. In 2013, Harada established Planet Aviation Co., Ltd. and became the Representative Director. He was involved in aviation safety improvement in developing countries (such as Myanmar and Mongolia). In 2021, Harada was appointed as an advisor for education, training, and examination of drone pilots of Japan Drone Organization Co., Ltd.
Takenori Matsumoto
Japan Drone Organization Executive Advisor
Matsumoto completed the master’s program in aeronautics at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering in 1968. He held positions at the Ministry of Transport (currently the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), staff member at the Civil Aviation Bureau Airworthiness Division Engineering Department, Senior Aircraft Inspector at the Tokyo Civil Aviation Bureau, Senior Air Talks Officer, Director,Flight Standards Division, Airport Administrator,The first Airport Administrator of Kansai International Airport, Director General, Osaka Regional Civil Aviation Bureau, and retired after working as Director general for Engineering Department(at present Safety Department), JCAB. After working at Japan Air System, Matsumoto was Senior managing Director of Japan Airline for Corporate Safety,Purchasing and Environment affairs, Fuji Dream Airlines Co., Ltd. Executive Advisor, Padeco Co., Ltd. Executive Advisor, and President of Setouchi SEAPLANES, Inc. Matsumoto is now Executive Advisor of Japan Drone Organization.
Koichi Saito
Japan Drone Organization Advisor
Saito graduated from the Tokyo Metropolitan Junior College of Aeronautical Engineering in 1964. In April of the same year, he joined the Ministry of Transport (currently the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) and worked in the Inspection Division of the Engineering Department at the Civil Aviation Bureau. He has been engaged in aircraft inspection work and aircraft maintenance supervision work for about 38 years at the Tokyo Civil Aviation Bureau and the Osaka Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Saito was appointed Deputy Aviation Accident Investigator of the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission (currently the Japan Transport Safety Board) in 2002, was involved in aviation accident investigations, and retired as a national civil servant in March 2005. From April 2005 to August 2016, he was engaged in aircraft certification work for unmanned agricultural helicopters (including drones from 2015) as the director of the Aviation Technology Office of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Aviation Association. In 2020, Saito became an advisor to Japan Drone Organization.
Ryo Kitahara
Japan Drone Organization Director
Kitahara studied abroad at the University of Oulu, Finland, and graduated from the School of Law at Tohoku University in 2017. He was involved in the production of TV commercials and web commercials as a video director at BABEL LABEL Co., Ltd. After working as a freelance director and photographer, Kitahara joined Japan Drone Organization in 2020.
Asahi Sakiyama
Japan Drone Organization Director
Sakiyama received a degree from the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Okinawa Prefectural College of Nursing in 2017. He obtained national qualifications for nurses and public health nurses. In the same year, he joined the University of the Ryukyus Medical School Hospital where he worked for 3 years. Sakiyama joined Japan Drone Organization, in May 2020. He is involved in unmanned aerial vehicle projects. Currently, his primary roles are as a drone photographer and drone instructor of Japan Drone Organization.
Amy Ishida
Outside Director
She completed her M.Phil. in Graduate School of Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University. Her research specializes in education cognitive psychology, especially in early childhood. She founded an international educational non-profit organization and language school in Japan. After completing her master’s degree, she was selected as the first Japanese in a business program sponsored by His Highness Dubai, and gained experience at the Ministry of Tourism of Dubai. She is currently working as an international business consultant to bridge between Japan and the rest of the world.
Jing Chen
Outside Director
Chen graduated from Tsinghua University, China and earned her Master of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research at University of Tokyo Graduate School of Information Engineering. She also has a degree in Computer Science from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Chen is Outside Director of Japan Drone organization in 2020.
Maya Agata
Outside Director
Agata studied abroad in the Okavango Delta, Botswana and graduated from Macalester College in the USA with a degree in biology. After graduating, she was a research technician with the US Geological Survey. Her field research has emphasized using GIS to understand landscape factor impacts on conservation and resource management. In FY2020, she was Project Manager for introduced species surveys conducted on five Natural World Heritage Site islands with the Japan Ministry of the Environment. Agata is also a manager of an English school and has many years of experience as an instructor.
Yuji Tasato
Japan Drone organization Auditor
After graduating from the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Letters, Kyoto University in 1995 and working for Showa Ota Audit Corporation (currently Shin Nihon Audit Corporation), Tasato established the Tari Certified Accountant Tax Accountant Office in 2003. In 2009, he was appointed as an individual external auditor (Izena Village) based on the Financial Stabilization Law, and in 2011 and 2012, he was appointed as a comprehensive external auditor for Okinawa Prefecture. From 2016 to 2019, he was Director of the Japan Certified Accountants Association Headquarters and Chairperson of the Japan Federation of Certified Public Tax Accountants Association Okinawa Regional Association. In 2016, he incorporated the tax accountant division, established the tax accountant corporation SOUTHPOINT, and became the Executive Director. In 2020, Tasato became Auditor of Japan Drone organization.
Akira Kurosawa
Japan Drone organization Special Auditor
Kurosawa graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Koto Commercial High School. He entered the Daiichi Bank KK (currently Mizuho Bank) and was in charge of new business development and client retention. He retired after serving as branch manager of two branches. In 2003, he became the General Manager of the sales division of the advertising company Yamato Tsushinsha (retired in 2009), and was in charge of sales and internal management. Since 2007, he has been an auditor and a councilor of the social welfare corporation Himawari Kai. In 2009, he became a full-time auditor at Heart Agency Co., Ltd. (retired in 2011). He was appointed as an advisor to Virtual Net Support Co., Ltd. in 2014, Director of Essence Co., Ltd. in 2015, and an auditor at Travel Net Cooperative Association in 2020. In 2020, Kurosawa became a Special Auditor of Japan Drone organization.
