Michael J. Gigante is a Washington, D.C.–based Associate at The Asia Group, where he focuses on the firm’s Japan portfolio. He provides clients clear strategic insights and practical guidance for navigating Japan’s business and regulatory terrain.
Prior to joining The Asia Group, Michael worked as a researcher and consultant focused on Japanese domestic politics and immigration policy. He completed his master’s degree in the Political Economy of East Asia at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, where he lived for eight years. After graduating, he served as a team lead and business consultant at a Mixed Piece, a Tokyo-based firm that advises and provides startup services to foreign companies seeking to invest in the Japanese market. Michael was also a keen observer of the original Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, witnessing firsthand how industry insiders reacted to provisions affecting the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and health-insurance sectors.
With advanced skills in Japanese, Michael is completing a Ph.D. in Political Science at George Mason University, where his dissertation parses how party factions constrain and promote foreign and domestic policy in Japan.
A mixed-methods researcher, Michael utilizes large-N data analysis, text analysis, and primary Japanese and English sources to enrich his research and policy recommendations. His dissertation work also includes survey experimental designs, the creation of original datasets, and qualitative field interviews. He has published articles in leading academic journals on Japan’s foreign and domestic politics. His book, Factional Politics in the Liberal Democratic Party: Explaining Change and Continuity in Japan’s Economic Statecraft, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2025.