Toshihiro OKUYAMA joined the Investigative Reporting Workshop as a Scholar in Residence of the American University in March 2009.

He has been a staff writer for The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese daily newspaper for more than 20 years and a member of its Investigative Reporting Team in Tokyo since April 2006. He has covered public prosecutors, the Judiciary system, the Ministry of Finance, financial scandals and others.

He is an author of a book published in Japan titled "Power of Whistleblowing: What Would Whistleblower Protection Act Protect?"  He is a co-author of three other books such as "Giso Ukeoi -- Disguised Employment Contracts: Workers in the Gap-Widening Society."

He also has been a Part-time Lecturer at the Graduate School of Journalism of Waseda University in Tokyo since September 2008. He will be in Washington, DC until late September 2009.