Professor Katsuya Hihara
Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan

Katsuya HIHARA is currently a Professor at Tourism Science Department of Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences in Tokyo Metropolitan University (TMU). He has published numerous academic papers in international journals, such as Transportation Research Part C and E, Transport Policy, and PlosOne, and wrote chapters in books such as Handbook of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptations 4th ed (Springer-Nature), as well as having extensive experience in transport and tourism policy sector for more than 25 years. He also advises to public sector organizations, such as Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT), Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and City of Hachioji. He holds a degree of Ph.D. (Management) from University of Tsukuba.
His recent research interests are sustainable tourism market analysis, economic impact of tourism and regional development, risk sharing among aviation market participants, and pandemic impact on tourism/transport market.

Professor Daniel J. Mills
Ritsumeikan University, Japan

Daniel J. Mills, Ed.D. is a professor in the Faculty of Economics at Ritsumeikan University in Shiga, Japan, where his research focuses on financial literacy education, educational technology, and innovative approaches to teaching personal finance. Having lived and worked in Japan for more than twenty years, he has extensive experience working at the intersection of economics education, language education, and technology-enhanced learning.
Dr. Mills’ research examines how digital tools, artificial intelligence, and informal learning communities can improve financial literacy and expand access to financial education. His recent work explores the role of generative AI and emerging technologies in supporting scalable, technology-enhanced financial learning both inside and outside the classroom. His scholarship has been published in leading journals in the fields of educational technology and computer-assisted language learning.
In addition to his academic research, Dr. Mills is the editor of the Scopus-indexed journalCALL-EJ and has been an active contributor to international academic conferences on technology-enhanced learning. He is also a certified financial educator and the founder of The FI Professor, an educational initiative dedicated to helping individuals, particularly Americans living abroad, build financial independence through practical financial literacy education.
Dr. Mills regularly speaks at international conferences and has appeared on numerous podcasts and webinars on financial independence, investing, and financial education. His work uniquely bridges academic research and real-world financial practice, bringing evidence-based insights to the global conversation on financial literacy and lifelong learning.