Masaaki Shirakawa

Former Governor of the Bank of Japan

Masaaki Shirakawa was previously Governor of the Bank of Japan. He was appointed as Governor in April 2008, and left the Bank in March 2013. He was also Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) between January 2011 and March 2013. Currently, he is distinguished guest professor at Aoyama-Gakuin University and a member of the Group of Thirty—a private, non-profit, international body composed of senior policymakers from central banks, supervisory agencies, the financial sector, and academia.

Masaaki Shirakawa joined the Bank of Japan in 1972. At the Bank, he held various key positions, including Executive Director in charge of monetary policy. Other professional experiences include professorship at the Kyoto University School of Government from July 2006 to March 2008.

Masaaki Shirakawa was born in September 1949. He studied economics at the University of Tokyo (B.A.) and at the University of Chicago (M.A.).