Nikken's pioneering Chairman, Mitsuo Nakamura, began his tenure with the firm in 1967 as an architect. Over the course of his long career, he has been involved in numerous high-profile projects both in Japan and overseas, among them Tokyo Midtown, the Bank of China Tower in Shanghai and the Islamic Development Bank in Saudi Arabia. His keen interest in the Middle East and North Africa in particular has been the driving force behind his contributions to the regions. Known for his out-of-box thinking and determination, he is a vital contributor to projects requiring sustainability and eco-friendly architecture and technologies. Mr Nakamura holds a Master's Degree in Architecture from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and is a Registered 1st Class Architect.
Joining Nikken as an architect in 1972, CEO Keiichi Okamoto has enjoyed a long successful career marked by numerous high-profile accomplishments and awards. His work on Central Japan International Airport earned him the Award of Merit in 2006 from the prestigious International Illumination Design Awards program. In 2008, a year after receiving an MIPIM Asia Award for his work on the Osaka Bar Association building, he became Nikken's CEO — a position he holds to this day. Mr Okamoto is a Registered 1st Class Architect and member of the Japan Institute of Architects. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from Yale University.
Masatoshi An has been with Nikken since joining as a planner in the City Planning Dept. after graduating from Kyoto University in 1975 with a Master's of Science in Architecture. He has held a number of high-level management posts while compiling a string of professional achievements, the most recent being the Tokyo Midtown Complex for which he received an MIPIM Asia Award for Mixed Use Development. Mr An is a member of the City Planning Institute of Japan and Japan Society of Urban & Regional Planners.
Nikken's Senior Executive Officer, Hideyuki Yokoya, is currently involved in developing overseas business primarily in Asia. He has participated in a number of notable projects, among them the Shanghai Citigroup Tower, Shanghai Information Center and the Bank of China Tower in Shanghai. Mr Yokoya joined the firm in 1978 after graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts with a Master's Degree from the School of Architecture. He is a Registered 1st Class Architect and belongs to numerous professional organizations.
Nikken's manager of the Urban Planning Section, Takeshi Nakawake, focuses on marketing and business development for the Middle East, CIS and North Africa. His success in branding and marketing has made a great impact on Japan's architectural and engineering industries. An example of this was Dubai's Cool City project in 2007, which showcased the efforts of major Japanese firms in creating a sustainable city model with a low-carbon footprint. Mr Nakawake is also a proponent of transit-oriented developments.
Akihiko Hamada, with Master's Degrees in Architecture from both the University of Pennsylvania and Waseda University, combines a boundless passion for architectural design with keen management skills. A member of Nikken since 1977, he currently supervises thirteen design studios and plays a leading role in high-profile domestic and overseas projects. Mr Hamada has earned a number of awards, most recently the JIA Architecture Award and the Award for Sustainable Architecture from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation.
Specializing in mechanical and electrical engineering for buildings, Kazuhiro Otaka is Nikken's Senior Executive Officer. Throughout his long career he has co-written books and articles on heating, air-conditioning and sanitary engineering. In addition, he has taught at universities throughout Japan, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Mr Otaka joined Nikken in 1978 after earning a Master's Degree in Architecture and Environmental Engineering from Waseda University. He is a Registered 1st Class Architect and a licensed engineer for air-conditioning systems.
Tadao Kamei started with Nikken as an architect in 1981 after receiving his Master of Architecture degree from Waseda University. He had previously obtained a Master's in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr Kamei's work spans a wide range of projects with major clients such as Tokyo Gas and Japan East Railways. The recipient of numerous awards, he was mentioned for the Ashihara Yoshinobu Award in 2006. Mr Kamei is a member of the Japan Institute of Architects and the Architectural Institute of Japan.
Fumio Nohara joined Nikken's M&E Engineering Division in 1981 after earning a Master of Engineering degree from Waseda University. One of his many notable accomplishments involved the Earthport project, which garnered Japan's prestigious Environmental and Energy-saving Architecture Award in 1996. Mr Nohara works as both a mechanical engineer and an environmental consulting engineer, and is a member of a number of organizations, including the Japan Institute of Architects and Architectural Institute of Japan.
Yasuhiro Tsuneki joined Nikken as a structural engineer in 1979 and has since been a driving force behind numerous projects involving high-rise steel structures. Among his notable achievements is the Shiodome Sumitomo Building. Completed in 2004, the super high-rise is the first ever to employ a mid-story isolation system and earned Mr Tsuneki an award from the Japan Structural Consultants Association. Mr Tsuneki is a member of various professional organizations, among them the Japan Institute of Architects and the Japanese Geotechnical Society. He earned his Ph.D in Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2007.
As CEO of Nikken's Shanghai office, Lu Zhong Xiao divides his time between China and Japan. He has been a key player in a number of award-winning projects in China, including the Bank of China Shanghai Building and the Shanghai Citigroup Tower. He is currently involved with the super high-rise Taiping Finance Tower and other large-scale developments. Mr Lu joined Nikken in 1994 after finishing his graduate studies at Tokyo Institute of Technology. When in Japan, he teaches part-time at the University of Tsukuba.
Nikken's point man in Korea, Lee Jee Hae, devotes his considerable talents to sales, management and architectural design. He is currently solidifying the firm's presence in the country, completing a number of high-profile projects for a diverse range of clients. Mr Lee joined the company in 2001. He has degrees from universities in Korea and Japan, his last being a Master's Degree from Nihon University's Department of Architecture.
Yasutaka Inoue joined Nikken Sekkei in 1972 and has been working with the firm for 38 years. He has mainly participated in overseas projects and was in charge of Project Management and Business Development for South-east Asian countries including Vietnam. He was involved in the design of the Sakura Hanoi Hotel (Hotel Nikko Hanoi) in Hanoi and has also been participating in the project management for the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Saigon South from its competition stage to present. His new assignment as Chief Representative of Nikken’s Offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will contribute to the high profile and branding of the firm in Vietnam’s growing construction market.
Fadi Jabri joined Nikken as an architect in 2000 after obtaining a PhD in Engineering from the University of Tokyo. In 2009 he became a partner, charged with developing and overseeing Nikken activities in the MENA and CIS regions. Dr Jabri brings to Nikken strong international experience owing to his participation in high profile projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Oman, Kazakhstan and the Former Yugoslavia. He is a well-respected member of the Japanese Institute of Architects, for which he was instrumental in forming its first Project Management Guidelines. In addition, he was one of the key members in the SDCJ initiative, which promoted the Cool City concept — a city model based on advanced principles of low carbon footprint and sustainability. Dr Jabri is proficient in Japanese, English, Russian and Arabic.
Currently managing a number of high-profile clients, including Mitsui Fudosan, Tokyu Group and JR East, Atsushi Omatsu's planning skills in urban-complex development are highly respected in the field. His participation in literally hundreds of projects has proved invaluable, with his most recent successes being the Gran Tokyo and Tokyo Midtown developments. Mr Omatsu graduated from University of Tokyo's Department of Architecture and Building Engineering in 1983, after which he joined Nikken. He is a Registered 1st Class Architect, licensed Facility Manager and JIA Registered Architect.
Wataru Tanaka holds two Master's Degrees, one in Urban Engineering from the University of Tokyo and the other in Landscape Architecture from Harvard. Since joining Nikken in 1988, he has used his vast knowledge of architecture, urban design & planning and landscape design in a variety of large-scale projects. Most recently, he played a significant role in the Tokyo Midtown development, overseeing master planning and design management. Mr Tanaka is a member of the Japan Institute of Architects and the Urban Planning Institute of Japan.
Hiroaki Otani has been with Nikken since 1986 when he joined the Architectural Design Department. His work reflects intimate knowledge of Japanese culture, an example of which can be seen in the award-winning "Layer House." Recently Mr Otani has been expanding his skill at infusing designs with unique cultural aspects. His latest achievement in this area has been with Vietnam's National Museum of History. Mr. Otani's participation was instrumental in Nikken winning the competition for consulting rights to the project.
Tomohiko Yamanashi has a Master of Urban Design degree from the University of Tokyo, which he acquired in 1986. That same year he joined Nikken as an assistant architect. The winner of numerous awards, his latest being MIPIM Asia's Special Jury Award in 2009 for Mokuzai Kaikan, Mr Yamanashi's domestic portfolio is supplemented by significant international experience in China and Singapore. He is a member of the Japan Institute of Architects and the Architectural Institute of Japan, and also teaches architectural design to graduates and undergraduates at the university level.
Takamori Yamazaki combines a broad range of design expertise with in-depth management skills. Since joining Nikken as an architect in 1983 after receiving his Master's in Engineering from Waseda University, he has been involved in numerous domestic and overseas projects. In 2006 he was honored with both the Good Design Award and Saitama Prefecture's Scenic Award for a project at Rikkyo University. Mr Yamazaki is a member of various professional organizations, including the American Institute of Architects and the Japan Institute of Architects.
Masakazu Kimura came to Nikken in 1992 after finishing a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California. He also holds a Master's in Engineering from Shibaura Institute of Technology. One of his most significant projects involved design of Nippon Life Insurance's Tokyo headquarters. Mr Kimura was promoted to his current position after winning the design competition for a new campus at his alma mater in Tokyo. He is a member of the Japan Institute of Architects and the Architectural Institute of Japan.
Ken Sato received his Master of Architecture degree from Kogakuin University in 1993, after which he joined Nikken. In 2009, he was promoted to his current post upon completion of the plan for a massive 1,500,000m2 development in Moscow. His overseas experience includes projects in Russia, Kazakhstan and former Yugoslavia. Among his most prestigious achievements has been Nagoya's Midland Square, which is 247 meters tall and covers 190,000m2. Mr Sato is a member of the Japan Institute of Architects and Architectural Institute of Japan.
Hidemichi Takahashi has extensive experience designing buildings both in Japan and overseas. Among his recent notable projects are the Pola Ginza Building in Tokyo and the Koshigaya Branch of Joyo Bank. Currently he is involved in designing the Taiping Finance Tower in Shenzhen, China due to be completed in 2014. The winner of numerous design awards, Mr Takahashi has been with Nikken since 1984 and holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Registered 1st Class Architect and JIA Registered Architect.
