Shunzo Miyake joined the East Japan Railway Company (JRE) in 1990 after graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo. Miyake started his career working as station staff, after which he was sent to London for one year to work as a bond trader. After returning to Japan, he was assigned to the personnel department, contributing to human resource development programmes such as employee recruiting and training. Following further experience as a manager in marketing and IT-related areas, he was assigned to work with international businesses as executive officer and department director of the planning and international relations department in the International Affairs Headquarters, where he has been for more than seven years. He is presently the senior executive officer and director general of the International Affairs Headquarters.
Miyake has been practicing the sport of kendō (a traditional Japanese martial art) since the age of thirteen. He is now at semi-professional instructor level (renshi roku-dan, or grade 6) and continues to aspire to higher levels in the sport. Miyake was born in 1968, to turn 57 this year.
