The evolution of Japan’s electricity markets has massively accelerated in the last few years. And 2023 promises to be the most vibrant year yet.
Join us to hear industry experts explain the dynamics behind Japanese power markets and outline the trends that will dominate the future.
The seminar will feature keynote speeches and panel discussions with representatives from all sides, from those involved in policy to experts in power generation, trading and analysis.
Director for Electricity Policy Planning, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Electricity and Gas Industry Dept., Policy Planning Division
A trained lawyer, Takuto Ichimura was seconded to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) from 2011 to 2015. While there, he was in charge of renewable energy policy and also policies for the electricity sector, working on issues such as full liberalization of the retail market and unbundling. After 2015, Takuto worked as a lawyer advising on electricity and gas businesses until taking up his current role in 2020.
Kazuhiro Takeuchi is President and CEO of Japan Renewable Energy Corporation JRE) since 2015. JRE is a leading developer and operator of renewable energy, such as solar, wind and biomass, in Japan. Before JRE, he enjoyed a 37-year career at Sumitomo Corporation, an integrated trading company, holding various positions, including CEO of Sumitomo Southeast Asia and CEO of Sumitomo Americas.
Takahiro Izumi is the General Manager of Power & Fuel Trading at Tohoku EPCO Energy Trading Co., Inc. (TET), a strategic trading entity owned by one of the major Japanese utilities, Tohoku Electric. With two decades of experience in commodity trading, Takahiro joined TET in 2017. His team has played a key role in shaping both the physical and derivatives power markets in Japan using new trading business models. They are also closely involved in asset optimization strategies for Tohoku Electric.
A veteran industry researcher, Toru Hattori has been deeply involved in analyzing and designing Japanese power markets for over two decades. He serves as the Deputy Director of CRIEPI’s Socio-Economic Research Center and is also a visiting professor at Chuo University. He’s the author of analysis papers on both Japanese and overseas power markets and competition issues in the industry.
Bob Takai has spent 40 years with Sumitomo Corporation, a major Japanese trading house, in multiple leadership positions across the global commodities, financial and intelligence industries based in Tokyo, London and Washington DC. Upon returning from his most recent assignment in the U.S., he left Sumitomo to join EEX Group and start its Tokyo office in July 2020 as Executive Advisor. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Japan America Society of Washington DC, as well as an advisor to FIAJ, Futures Industry Association Japan.
Ryo Nozawa is founder and CEO of Tokyo-based energy-tech startup, enechain Corp. The company operates Japan's largest forward energy market and provides a platform for data analytics and risk management services. A former LNG trader at Kansai Electric, Ryo led the company’s trading and optimization activities. An MBA graduate from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Ryo often speaks and offers policy ideas at METI expert meetings on ways to improve the design of Japan’s wholesale electricity market.
Mahdi Behrangrad is passionate about the commercialization of green energy and has a PhD in electrical engineering. He has over 14 years of international experience in end to end energy storage and VPP business cycle from R&D, new business development, strategy and alliance formation to tech start-up investment in UK / Japan / Singapore / Middle East etc. He’s now charged with kick starting a large-scale ESS business, managing the implementation of tens of MWh of assets and hundreds of MWh of future pipeline.
Sadayuki Matsudaira has a wealth of experience interpreting Japanese laws and regulations in practice across the full energy supply chain. He also serves as a member of an industrial safety rules committee and a hydrogen safety strategy committee, both of which were established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and also is a member of an electricity capacity market committee, which is part of the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators, Japan (OCCTO).
Loftur is the General Manager of Volue Japan. A leading supplier of technology, data and forecasting
to the European and Japanese power and energy trading industry. Loftur has worked in the Japanese
power industry since 2010 for leading global firms such as Schneider Electric, Vena Energy, and
others in energy management, solar energy, and renewable energy projects. In addition, Loftur has
authored report on the Japanese oil and gas industry at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and
served on various committees at the World Energy Council.
John Macdonald Warren leads the solar, storage and hydrogen origination and development team in Japan. Prior to Vena Energy, John was involved in the renewable energy industry for over 10 years in Germany and Japan. He has extensive experience in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) management, finance, and business development, and held the role of country manager of Saferay Singapore, a German renewable energy IPP. John holds a Master of Engineering in Applied Material Flow Management from the University of Trier, Germany, and a Master of Science in International Cooperation Policy from Ritsumeikan APU, Japan.
Yuriy Humber is founder of the Japan NRG platform, which provides regular information and analysis about the Japanese energy and power industry, markets, and policy. He is also a columnist on energy issues for Nikkei Asia and co-author of Net Zero Sum, a white paper on Japanese energy policies published by CLSA.
- Toru Hattori, Senior Research Economist, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) (tentative)
- Izumi Takahiro, GM of Power & Fuel Trading at Tohoku EPCO Energy Trading
- Ryo Nozawa, Founder and CEO, enechain Corp.
- Hiroyuki "Bob" Takai, Executive Advisor, EEX Japan
- Moderator: Loftur Thorarinsson, General Manager for Japan, Volue
This is an inaugural event co-organised by Japan NRG, Volue and EEX Japan.
We aim to bring together in an international setting the various stakeholders that make up Japan’s fast-evolving electricity markets. This will be a platform for an open exchange of views and to network with key players in the field, both from the public and private sector.
Japan NRG is a one-stop platform that delivers both information and analysis on energy and electricity markets in Japan. Japan NRG is also your access to the Japanese energy community.
Our publications and events, which include the flagship Weekly report, offer both a macro and micro view of key news and trends in the industry, as well as speakers and content exclusive to Japan NRG.
Volue is a leading supplier of technology, data and forecasting for the power industry. We offer software, insight and systems that lead the European and Japanese markets’ transition to robust and sustainable services critical for society.
Our market-leading products optimise energy trading, production, distribution and consumption, as well as infrastructure and construction projects. Our mission is to realise a cleaner and more profitable future for our 2,200+ customers and thus the global society.
The European Energy Exchange (EEX) is the leading energy exchange which builds secure, successful and sustainable commodity markets worldwide – together with its customers. As part of EEX Group, a group of companies serving international commodity markets, it offers contracts on Power, Natural Gas and Emission Allowances as well as Freight and Agricultural Products. EEX also provides registry services as well as auctions for Guarantees of Origin, on behalf of the French State. In May 2020, EEX started offering a platform for trading Japan power futures contracts. It has since expanded, adding a wider range of market derivatives and more participants.