Sota KATO

Sota KATO is a Visiting Professor at The International University of Japan. Previously, he served in Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now METI), holding roles such as Assistant Director for Aircraft and Defense Industries and Deputy Director for the International Economic Division. He holds an MBA (with honors) from Harvard Business School and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan.

His research focuses on Comparative Political Economy, Political Methodology (formal modeling/machine learning), and Japanese Politics. Notable work includes analyzing institutional change in Japan's political economy (1990–2005) and forecasting elections using ensemble learning methods.

Recent research programs include studies on fiscal consolidation strategies, contingency planning for financial crises, and decision-making for intergenerational sustainability. He won the 2012 FFJ/SASE Best Paper Award for his analysis of Japan's institutional transformation.

Publications span topics like media effects on public opinion, election forecasting algorithms, and political business cycle detection through machine learning. His work bridges formal political theory with applied data science methodologies.