Shinichi Kihara was appointed in June 2020 as the deputy commissioner for international affairs at the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. Mr. Kihara has rich experience in the area of international energy policy. He served as director for international affairs for four years starting in 2012. He took the lead for the G7 Kitakyushu Energy Ministerial in 2016. He was also involved in energy-related work including the International Affairs Division in 2004 and Nuclear Power Safety Administration Division in 1998. Mr. Kihara served as senior energy analyst at the International Energy Agency in Paris starting in 2009. He contributed to their flagship publication, The World Energy Outlook. Mr. Kihara joined METI in 1993 and has diverse experience serving various offices in the METI, including during his time at the Division of Trade Policy Bureau; the Middle East and Africa Division, and Americas Division. His experience also covers the area of economic cooperation, export control, and others. Mr. Kihara earned a bachelor of economics from University of Tokyo in 1993 and a masters of business administration in 1998 from Cornell University in the United States.