Our Team

ABOUT FAST

ADVANCING AS ONE : ACADEMIA And INDUSTRY UNITED

“Fusion energy is not just a dream. But if we don’t act now, we may miss our chance.”

Driven by this belief, researchers and engineers have come together—devoting their efforts to make fusion energy a reality. Crossing the boundaries between academia and industry, we are pooling world-class expertise and technology to take on the challenge of demonstrating fusion-based power generation—a first for Japan, and for the world.

CEO Message

Amid profound shifts in the global energy landscape, the establishment of a new energy foundation that unites stability, sustainability, and economic viability has become imperative. Fusion energy—utilizing fuel derived from seawater—represents one of the most credible pathways toward achieving this objective.

Starlight Engine’s mandate is to integrate the technologies essential for the demonstration of fusion energy and to link them with the domains of business, regulation, and society, thereby advancing toward practical deployment. Our role is not confined to the realization of discrete technologies; it encompasses stewarding progress from demonstration to full industrialization. The FAST (Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) project stands at the core of this endeavor.

For Japan—whose resource base depends substantially on overseas supply—the development of fusion energy as a Japan-origin industrial foundation is of strategic significance. Beyond reinforcing energy security through a stable and sustainable supply, fusion has the potential to catalyze broad-based industrial spillovers across materials, equipment manufacturing, construction, and operations management. At the same time, this undertaking cannot be concluded within Japan alone. It is essential that we advance it from Japan to the world in an open, internationally collaborative framework.

Over the course of my career at a general trading company, I have led large-scale, long-duration projects under conditions of material uncertainty—aligning diverse stakeholders, building and operating supply chains, and translating concepts into executable and enduring businesses. Drawing on these experiences, both domestically and internationally, I am committed to working in close partnership with the researchers who have advanced fusion science over decades, together with leaders across industry and public policy, to ensure disciplined and steady progress.

Our commitment is to move fusion energy from a future aspiration to a present-day industry. Starlight Engine will continue to pursue the realization of a new energy foundation that underpins the next era of society and industry. In doing so, we will ensure that fusion energy becomes a reality and contribute to the sustainable development of humanity.

Kiyotaka Kikuchi
President and Chief Executive Officer
Starlight Engine Ltd.

Introducing the FAST
project team

Kiyotaka KIKUCHI

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Kiyotaka spent more than 30 years at Mitsubishi Corporation, leading business investments, PMI, business revitalization, and global management. As an Executive Vice President, he served as CEO of the Consumer Industry Group and as Regional CEO for Asia and Oceania, overseeing operations across 19 countries and 42 offices.He drove consolidated management across the entire value chain—from upstream to downstream—enhancing corporate…

Shuhei AZUMA

Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)

Shuhei began his career working on multilateral economic partnership negotiations at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later engaged in global strategy development at the Indian subsidiary of a Japanese management consulting firm. In 2017, he became Japan’s youngest mayor when elected Mayor of Shijonawate City in Osaka Prefecture, where he led municipal reform over two terms spanning eight years.…

Yuto YOSHIOKA

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO)

At his previous trading company, Yuto worked in Jakarta for the development of a natural gas project. He later expanded the business as a trader in Singapore. He joined Kyoto Fusioneering in November 2021, where he is advancing the global business, sales pipelines, and stakeholder management as VP of Business Development and Operations. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics…

Kenzo IBANO

Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Dr. Ibano has collaborated with U.S. universities and research institutions for more than 15 years on fusion reactor design and plasma–material interaction, scientifically validating the feasibility of commercial fusion reactors. Drawing on this experience, he supports startups as a VSM Mentor at OIST. He holds degrees from Keio University, an M.S. from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. from…

Kiyoshi SEKO

Founder

During approximately 10 years at Mitsubishi Corporation, Kiyoshi executed numerous business development projects and strategic investments, including overseas joint ventures and cross-border M&A. He also made multiple deep‑tech investments at a venture capital firm. He holds a Master’s degree in Applied Physics from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from a European institution.

Satoshi KONISHI

Founder

For 40 years, Professor Konishi has been engaged in fusion engineering, fusion reactor design, tritium engineering, and the ITER project. He served as Head of the Integrated Chemical Systems Laboratory at Kyoto University in 2008, Chair of the ITER Test Blanket Program Committee in 2009, and Japan’s representative to the same committee in 2012. He co-founded Kyoto Fusioneering in 2019.

Takaaki FUJITA

Professor, Nagoya University
FAST Project Member

For more than 30 years, Professor Fujita has been involved in core plasma experiments and simulations for tokamak devices. He led plasma physics research at JT‑60U and achieved world-leading data (Q > 1). He conducts joint research with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. He holds a Doctor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Tokyo.

Akira EJIRI

Professor, The University of Tokyo
FAST Project Member

At the University of Tokyo,Professor Ejiri led fusion plasma research and was among the first to recognize that spherical tokamaks could achieve high plasma performance even at small scale. He not only designed the TST device but also built it himself. As a leading expert in plasma measurements, he has conducted collaborative research with partners in Japan, the United States,…

Kenji TOBITA

Project Professor, The University of Tokyo
FAST Project Member

Project Professor Tobita has led fusion reactor design efforts in Japan and proposed the SlimCS concept, a compact, high-power low-aspect-ratio tokamak. As inaugural leader of the Joint Special Team for DEMO Design, he oversaw the conceptual design of JA-DEMO. He previously served as Deputy Director of the QST Rokkasho Fusion Institute and as a professor at Tohoku University.

Keii KONISHI

Researcher, Keio University’s Fusion Industry Research Center
FAST Project Member

Specializing in energy economics, policy, and business strategy, Dr. Konishi has spent more than 15 years providing advisory services and conducting research for government agencies, corporations, and financial institutions. He leads research on the social implementation of fusion energy and energy scenario analysis. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo for his research in fusion reactor design.

Yoshifumi KUME

FAST Project Member

After working in production/facility design and procurement at Mitsubishi Chemical, and later in trading and low‑carbon investment at Mitsubishi Corporation, Yoshifumi now leads technology development for the fusion fuel cycle and fusion thermal cycle at Kyoto Fusioneering, in addition to promoting further technological advancement.

Sadanori IWAI

FAST Project Member

He spent over 15 years at a major electronics manufacturer developing superconducting applications, including high-field magnets, accelerators, and high-field MRIs. He is an expert in high-temperature superconducting coil and magnet technology using REBCO coated conductors. He joined Kyoto Fusion Engineering in 2023. He holds a Ph.D. from Kyushu University.

Akira SAKASAI

FAST Project Member

Since joining the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute over 30 years ago, Dr. Sakasai has engaged in research on fusion power generation. He has been involved in the JT-60SA project since its inception in 2007, and he led the development of large tokamak experimental device as the head of tokamak system technology development at the National Institutes for Quantum Science…

Takashi INO

FAST Project Member

Responsible for safety assessment, risk communication, and regulatory and licensing affairs. Joined Kyoto Fusioneering in August 2021, focusing on radiation safety analysis. Earned an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from The University of Tokyo. Licensed Chief Reactor Engineer and Licensed Chief Nuclear Fuel Handling Supervisor.

Miki NISHIMURA

FAST Project Member

With a background in experimental particle physics, Dr. Nishimura conducted research at KEK focusing on detector development and data analysis. She then joined a consulting firm within the NTT Data group, supporting digital transformation for major enterprises. She has extensive expertise in both technology and management. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo.

OUR INVESTORS