Takamasa Fukuoka earned his PhD at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan. In addition to his academic achievements, he is well experienced both in business and as a business mentor. Beginning his career in the information, communication and technology industry (NTT East and later for NTT Communications), he was engaged in international strategic planning and management, and served more than ten years as a planner and coordinator for a Japanese government body concerned with stimulating investment by foreign countries in the economy of local communities. In 2016, he was invited to give a lecture on brand management at Shih Chien University in Taiwan.
Professor Fukuoka’s current research interests fall into three areas. Firstly, he is exploring effective strategies to revitalize local economies, and has a particular interest in how local governments might enhance the attractiveness of their communities through regional branding. As well, he is working to identify the wants and needs of foreign-affiliated companies that might be enticed to invest in such regions. The theoretical and practical implications of this, with conclusions drawn from his own field-work, have been published in area relevant journals. Secondly, he has looked into the possibility of an effective business alliance between Taiwanese and Japanese companies. In the past few years, he has interviewed company presidents in the both countries, and highlighted the similarities and differences in management styles. Articles based on those interviews have been published in the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association’s journal. Last but not least, he has recently begun researching team building and leadership in the diverse workplace, a topic which is of growing significance in both business and society today.
・Articles based on the interviews with CEOs of Taiwanese companies have been serialized in Journal of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association since 2015.
・Fukuoka, T. (2014). A Study on the Role and Behavior of Main Actors in Zone Branding for Regional Vitalization. Journal of The Japan Association of Regional Development and Vitalization, 5, 357-366.
・Fukuoka, T. (2013). Local Government’s Strategic Design for Consensus Building in Zone Branding: Whereby Responsibility is Shifted from Local Government to Local People and Specific Planning is Discussed with Target Groups Concerned. Journal of Zone Design, 2, 67-84.