TUJ appoints Yukari Sato (left) and Sachio Semmoto (right) as special advisor to the president.
- TUJ appoints Sachio Semmoto and Yukari Sato as special advisors to the president, honorary professors and Board of Overseers members
- Semmoto and Sato bring expertise spanning technology, economics, academics and public service
- Appointments strengthen TUJ’s commitment to innovation and global engagement
Temple University Japan (TUJ) has named renowned telecommunications pioneer Sachio Semmoto and distinguished economist and former Japanese legislator Yukari Sato as special advisors to President Matthew Wilson and honorary professors. In addition, Temple University has appointed both to TUJ’s Board of Overseers.
Bringing decades of leadership and experience in technology, economics, public policy, and higher education, Semmoto and Sato will help advance Temple University’s strategic priorities, strengthen its academic mission, and deepen its engagement with industry, government and the global community in Japan and Asia.
Temple University is experiencing one of the most dynamic periods in its 45-year history in Japan. As TUJ’s enrollment continues to reach record highs, the university has broadened its academic offerings, while expanding its faculty, staff and campus facilities. Temple Japan opened TUJ Kyoto in January 2025 and is preparing to open the Hillside Center, its second major academic location in the Tokyo metropolitan area, in Kanagawa Prefecture in August 2026.
Through these key leadership and advisory roles, Sato and Semmoto will provide strategic insight into institutional growth, innovation, and global partnerships, further strengthening TUJ’s position as a bridge between Japan and the international community.
These appointments underscore TUJ’s commitment to advancing student success, international education, and cross-cultural exchange. They follow the appointment of Sergiy Korsunsky, former Ukrainian ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Japan, as special advisor to President Wilson in July 2025.
Acclaimed Financier and Lawmaker
Sato is the president and CEO of Future Analytics, Inc. and has over 20 years of experience in the Liberal Democratic Party and served 16 years in the Japanese Diet. She held multiple state minister positions during the administration of Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga including State Minister of the Cabinet, State Minister of the Environment, and State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. She is also an outside board director for Hosokawa Micron Corporation, Sentient K.K. and SRS Holdings.
She holds a doctoral degree in economics from New York University and a master of international affairs from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. Additionally, she has taught at various universities, including Temple University Japan, Kwansei Gakuin University, and Chuo University.
Pioneer of Japan Telecom Industry
Semmoto is co-founder of Daini-Denden (DDI), the parent company of KDDI Corp., and one of Japan’s most influential telecommunications entrepreneurs and a pioneer of the country’s mobile communication industry. Through his creation of eAccess and eMobile, Semmoto helped expand mobile connectivity and broadband infrastructure across Japan.
In 2023, Semmoto founded AI Biomedical Inc. and Quality Cloud Corp., where he serves as chairman. He has also served as an outside board member of several world-class companies, including NetApp, Reuters and Telecom New Zealand.
A graduate of Kyoto University, Semmoto earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Florida. He has served as a professor at Keio University and held academic appointments at leading institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon University; and Stanford University. He also founded the Frances and Sachio Semmoto Foundation to bridge the worlds of technology, entrepreneurship, and education.
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- Temple Japan Appoints Former United Nations University Communications Head as Chief Communications Officer (February 24, 2026)
- Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Joins Temple University, Japan Campus as Distinguished Global Scholar and Special Advisor to the Dean (June 5, 2025)