Mr. Hosaka Shin has been serving as Vice Minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) since July 2023. He leads all of METI’s international policy operations and represents the ministry in cross-border economic dialogues and negotiations, and travels alongside the Prime Minister on overseas missions to advise on economic, trade, industrial and energy policy.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Hosaka served as Commissioner of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) in July 2020. As head of the agency, he oversaw all areas of energy policy including developing Japan’s Strategic Energy Plan, assuring secure energy supply, regulating the electricity and gas sectors, as well as promoting renewable energy and conservation.
Since joining METI, Mr. Hosaka has served in a wide range of senior posts. These include Director of the Retail and Wholesale Commerce Division, Business Support Department, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency; Director of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Division, Natural Resources and Fuel Department at ANRE; Director of the Automobile Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau; Director of the Corporate Affairs Division, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau; Director of the General Policy Division at ANRE; Director of the Secretarial Division, Minister’s Secretariat, and Deputy Director-General of the Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau.
From 2017 as Deputy Commissioner for Natural Resources and Energy Policy at ANRE, he formulated export policy for energy-related infrastructure and international negotiations concerning energy policies and established a domestic system for ensuring stable supplies of resources and energy.
From 2019 as Director-General of the Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau, he supervised policy planning and implementation in the areas of trade promotion, technical cooperation, investment facilitation, trade control and trade remedies.
Mr. Hosaka is a graduate of the University of Tokyo’s Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, and studied at the University of Michigan in the United States. He was born in Chiba on May 2, 1963.