Hyogo Business & Cultural Center Staff

Takanori Ginn Kitaoka, Director
Ginn has been the director at HBCC since 1998. Prior to his arrival in Seattle, he was a prominent part of the remarkable recovery Hyogo Prefecture experienced after the horrible Great Awaji-Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. He has degrees from Kwansei University, Evergreen College and a certificate from Harvard University. Ginn has worked the better part of his life in the public service of Hyogo Prefecture and continues to focus on making the prefecture a socially and economically strong region in Japan. As Ginn oversees the entire HBCC office, he maintains a strong focus on business development.

Masaaki Matsuura, Associate Director
Masa joined the HBCC team in April of 2005. He came to us directly from the Hyogo International Association, also a non-profit branch office of the Hyogo prefectural government dedicated to promoting exchange between citizens of Hyogo and other countries. Also as a Kobe University graduate of Law, he not only possesses a strong background in international and educational exchange programs but also in policy procedures. Masa is a strong asset in helping to increase recognition of HBCC as he manages and oversees all of our programs.

Kayo Tomlinson, Business Development Manager
Kayo joined HBCC in February 2005 after moving to Seattle from the Kansai area in the previous year. She graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo and studied at the UW on a one-year exchange program. Her career demonstrates exposure to a wide range of business industries, which includes working at an Australian bank as a customer dealer, as well as in a consulting firm that specialized in introducing Japanese products into the US market. At HBCC she will be responsible for business development between Hyogo and the US.

John Charlton, Project Coordinator
The latest addition to the HBCC, John moved to Seattle in 2006 after completing 3 years as a Coordinator of International Relations for Iga city in Japan. Originally from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, John has diversified business experience, language skills and a keen desire to promote international goodwill. He will be responsible for coordinating educational and cultural events, as well as promoting sister-city relations and academic exchange between Washington & Hyogo.

Sean Young, International Relations Advisor
After six years as a full time staff at HBCC, Sean entered graduate school at the School for International Training. Upon completing his coursework in Organizational Management, he took a position as Executive Director for an Arizona-based nonprofit organization working to prevent child abuse and strengthen families. Sean is a JET Programme alum and continues to promote positive international relations between Hyogo and the United States through this honorary position. His main tasks will be to promote business development opportunities, implement educational outreach activities in new communities, advise on issues relating to sister government relations and continue to extend goodwill for Hyogo throughout the United States.