Team

Naoki Hashimoto

Mates, KUMANOMICS Inc. CEO

As the first national government official to study at a graduate school of art, I led design-driven projects such as design-driven management initiatives and the JAPAN+D program at the Japanese government. In 2024, leveraging my experience in public administration, I founded KUMANOMICS Inc. with a mission to design an economy where public and private sectors collaborate and harmony between nature and society is achieved.

PASSION & INTEREST

Creating Systems to Transform Society

Opportunities for businesses and government agencies to collaborate creatively on solving societal challenges are limited. I strive to foster spaces for co-creation through design approaches, aiming to realize policies and projects built on a shared vision.

Building Networks of Changemakers

Individuals and organizations addressing social challenges often work in isolation, lacking opportunities for collaboration. To bridge this gap, I connect diverse stakeholders—including governments, corporations, NGOs, startups, and individuals—expanding meaningful connections that drive new social change.

Sharing Methods to Transform Society

While outstanding practices for solving societal challenges emerge daily in Japan and around the world, their methods are not widely shared. Drawing on insights from frontline design approaches, I work to promote human-centered perspectives and practical solutions to inspire and empower others.

BACKGROUND

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, I began my career at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2010. As the first Japanese national government official to study at an art graduate school, I earned an MFA from Parsons School of Design in the United States. Upon returning to Japan, I collaborated with KESIKI on initiatives such as establishing the Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV) for the Japan Patent Office and planning and managing the design-driven policymaking program JAPAN+D. Additionally, I launched the I-OPEN Project, which uses intellectual property to address societal challenges, earning recognition with Good Design Award.

In 2024, I left METI and founded KUMANOMICS Inc. to design an economy where public and private sectors collaborate, fostering harmony between nature and society. Beyond designing frameworks for joint policymaking and business development between private companies and government agencies, I also serve as a committee member for the Policy Design Research Group at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy and as an advisor to the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency