Media

Tokyo & Washington, DC | January 19, 2026 – The Asia Group (TAG) is pleased to announce the addition of three senior experts to its Tokyo-based team: David Boling, Akihiro Kawai, and Akihiro Tsuchiya. These stellar additions reinforce the firm’s commitment to supporting clients in Japan with enhanced analytical depth and sectoral expertise. As Japan’s policy and economic landscape evolves, TAG’s Japan practice will continue to bring distinguished experience and on‑the‑ground insight to drive client outcomes.  

TAG Managing Partner Kurt Tong said: “We are thrilled to see TAG’s Tokyo presence continue to grow with such outstanding talent. These additions deepen our ability to deliver the very best analysis, judgment, and strategic insights for our clients at a pivotal moment for Japan and the Indo-Pacific region.” 

David Boling joins TAG as a principal with decades of experience spanning U.S. government service, the private sector, and policy advisory roles. A former deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for Japan, he led key negotiations in the Trans‑Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.–Japan Trade Agreement and has extensive expertise helping U.S. companies navigate regulatory and market barriers. His prior roles at Eurasia Group and the U.S. Department of Justice equip him to provide clients with deep policy insight and practical guidance informed by long-standing engagement with Japanese institutions. 

Akihiro Kawai joins as principal after more than 30 years in Japan’s defense and aerospace industry, including as vice president and deputy general manager of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Missile and Defense Aircraft Division. He brings extensive program management and engineering experience across major defense aviation platforms — including leadership roles in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) — and a long track record of coordinating across Japanese, U.S., and UK government and industry stakeholders. His technical and strategic expertise strengthens TAG’s growing defense and national security portfolio. 

Akihiro Tsuchiya joins TAG as senior advisor following a 35-year career at Japan’s Ministry of Finance, where he held senior roles including director-general of the International Bureau and deputy chief of the National Security Policy Coordination Unit. He offers deep experience in international finance, economic security, foreign exchange policy, and multilateral engagement, having represented Japan at high-level G7, G20, and ASEAN+3 forums and led critical work on investment screening, sanctions, and financial governance. His background adds significant breadth to TAG’s ability to advise clients on Japan’s dynamic economic and security landscape. 

The Asia Group is excited to welcome this new talent and further cement its commitment to providing industry-leading insights from Tokyo. 

For more information, please visit www.theasiagroup.com or contact media@theasiagroup.com.  

About The Asia Group 

The Asia Group is the premier partner to the world’s leading companies seeking to excel across the Indo-Pacific. With a multi-disciplinary team of dynamic professionals across the region, The Asia Group enables companies to unlock value and mitigate risk at the intersection of public policy and corporate strategy.