With a 23-year-long career in journalism under his belt, SAKAGUCHI Hirohiko has been Seoul Bureau Chief for the Mainichi Shimbun since April 2021. Previous to this position, he spent many years covering different aspects of Japanese politics, from the Prime Minister’s Office and political parties - mainly the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito Party - to ministries. From 2014-16, He served as Vienna Bureau Chief, focusing on news on Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Based on his reports on the refugee crisis in Europe, SAKAGUCHI authored a book titled Reportage Refugee Crisis from the Balkan Peninsula Route (2016). One of his main interests is the impact of mutual exchange, especially grassroots people-to-people exchange that can serve as a safety valve in international relations."