 In September 2011, he became Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs (a member of the Noda Cabinet).He studied for his master's degree at SAIS in Washington, D.C. beginning in the fall of 1980 through the spring of 1982 and completed his doctoral dissertation and received his PhD thereafter.His PhD adviser was Nathaniel B. Thayer, Yasuhiro Nakasone Professor and senior adviser to the Reischauer Center at SAIS.