Dr. Mitsutoshi (Toshi) Kajikawa serves as the Executive Director representing Croatia, Japan, Korea, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Prior to assuming this position in July 2026, he had a distinguished career at Japan’s Ministry of Finance, most recently serving as Deputy Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs. In this capacity, his broad portfolio included overseeing foreign investment screening frameworks—notably leading the latest comprehensive amendments to Japan’s Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA)—and international financial regulations. He has also demonstrated global leadership in combating financial crimes, serving as Co-Chair of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) and Head of the Japanese Delegation to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Alongside his professional duties, Dr. Kajikawa maintains a strong academic profile as an Affiliated Professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Kyoto University. His research focuses on development finance, particularly the econometric analysis of multilateral development bank operations. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Kyoto University, a Master of Arts in Regional Studies–East Asia from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo. Additionally, he has passed the Japanese National Bar Examination.
