The Asia Group (TAG) is a strategic advisory firm focused on the Indo-Pacific. It has expanded its Tokyo team with the appointment of three senior experts, strengthening its capacity to advise multinational companies navigating Japan’s evolving policy, economic, and security environment.
The firm has added David Boling, a former senior U.S. trade negotiator, Akihiro Kawai, a veteran of Japan’s defence and aerospace industry, and Akihiro Tsuchiya, a former senior official at Japan’s Ministry of Finance, to its Tokyo-based practice.
The expansion comes as Japan deepens its role in regional trade, economic security, and defence cooperation, positioning itself as a central player in Indo-Pacific policy at a time of rising geopolitical competition, supply chain realignment, and regulatory change.
“Japan is at a pivotal moment in its economic and security trajectory,” TAG Managing Partner Kurt Tong said in a statement. “These additions deepen our ability to deliver the very best analysis, judgment, and strategic insights for our clients at a time when policy decisions in Tokyo are increasingly shaping outcomes across the region.”
TAG, which advises global companies on public policy, regulatory risk, and government relations across Asia, has been steadily building out its Japan practice as multinational firms seek deeper on-the-ground insight into regulatory reform, trade policy, national security screening, and industrial strategy.
Boling joins TAG as a principal after decades of experience in U.S. government and private sector policy advisory roles. He previously served as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for Japan, where he led key negotiations under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) framework and the U.S.–Japan Trade Agreement. He also worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy.
His experience in bilateral trade negotiations, regulatory affairs and market access issues is expected to strengthen TAG’s trade and investment advisory capabilities, particularly for U.S. and European firms seeking to expand or protect their operations in Japan’s highly regulated sectors, including digital services, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing.
Kawai joins as a principal after more than 30 years at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), one of Japan’s largest defence contractors. He most recently served as vice president and deputy general manager of MHI’s Missile and Defense Aircraft Division, overseeing complex defence aviation programmes and multinational industrial partnerships.
Kawai has played a senior role in Japan’s participation in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a trilateral initiative with the United Kingdom and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft, reflecting Japan’s growing defence cooperation with allies amid rising regional security tensions.
His appointment strengthens TAG’s defence, aerospace and national security advisory portfolio at a time when Japan is accelerating defence spending, revising export controls, and promoting international defence industrial cooperation under its new national security strategy.
Tsuchiya joins TAG as a senior advisor following a 35-year career at Japan’s Ministry of Finance, where he held several senior positions, including director-general of the International Bureau and deputy chief of the National Security Policy Coordination Unit.
During his tenure, Tsuchiya represented Japan at high-level international forums including the G7, G20 and ASEAN+3, and was closely involved in shaping Japan’s foreign exchange policy, financial diplomacy, sanctions frameworks, and investment screening mechanisms. His expertise spans international finance, economic security, and financial governance, areas that have become increasingly central to corporate risk management and compliance strategies.
Also read: Bangladesh Secures Historic Duty-Free Trade Access to Japan
His addition is expected to enhance TAG’s ability to advise clients on Japan’s evolving approach to economic security, capital flows, sanctions compliance, and regulatory scrutiny of foreign investment, particularly in sensitive sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals, data infrastructure, and defence technologies.
The expansion of TAG’s Tokyo office reflects broader trends in corporate strategy, as multinational companies seek to balance market growth opportunities in Japan and the wider Indo-Pacific with rising geopolitical risk, regulatory complexity, and national security considerations.
Japan has, in recent years, adopted a more assertive economic security policy framework, strengthening export controls, enhancing investment screening, promoting domestic semiconductor production and aligning more closely with allies on supply chain resilience. At the same time, Tokyo continues to position itself as a champion of high-standard trade agreements, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the successor to the original TPP.
For global companies, these shifts have increased the importance of nuanced policy engagement and local expertise, particularly in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital services, defence, finance, and life sciences.
TAG said the new hires reinforce its commitment to providing industry-leading insights from Tokyo, combining deep government experience with private sector expertise and technical knowledge across trade, defence, and financial policy.
Founded by former senior U.S. government officials, TAG operates across major Asian capitals, advising companies on navigating the intersection of public policy and corporate strategy. The firm has expanded its regional footprint in recent years as clients seek integrated approaches to managing political risk, regulatory change, and strategic investment decisions across the Indo-Pacific.
