Ken Aoyama
President and CEO
Ken Aoyama founded Samurai Capital in 2009 as President and CEO of the firm.
Prior to Samurai Capital, he worked at Morgan Stanley from 2001 to 2009 as Head of core type real estate investment platform.
His responsibilities included fund arrangement, fund raising, acquisitions, and asset management.
Ken was also Chief Investment Officer of MS Real Estate Advisors, which was established to manage private open-ended J-REIT.
He also led many transactions, including sourcing, acquisitions and asset management of real estate for Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund (MSREF).
Before joining Morgan Stanley, Ken was with Sumitomo Realty from 1993 to 1998, where he managed development projects of office/commercial properties in Japan.
He provides advices to clients on the balance between creative solutions and implementation plans backed by detailed financial analysis.
Ken Aoyama acquired his MBA from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Keio University. Executive Committee member of ULI Japan.
Norio Yoshijima
Senior Managing Director(President of Haun Co., Ltd.)
Norio Yoshijima joined Samurai Capital in May 2017.
He previously served as Executive Director in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley (currently Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities) since 2006 and was responsible for various investment and advisory services to real estate-related clients, including IPO, fund raising, structured finance and M&A. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he worked in the Investment Banking Division of Merrill Lynch Japan since 2002. He also established his own firm, Metropolitan Renaissance in 2014.
Norio Yoshijima received a Ph. D in Urban Engineering from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Architectural Engineering from Kyoto University.
Keiko Hirata
Director
Keiko Hirata worked at Morgan Stanley Capital Japan from 2006 to 2015, where she was involved in HR and general affairs operations related to Special Purpose Companies (SPCs), including recruitment, HR due diligence, and policy administration.
Since 2016, she has served as an HR Generalist and HR Business Partner at foreign-owned manufacturing companies, leading initiatives such as compensation system reform, training program development, HRIT implementation, and office relocation projects. She has driven HR strategies from planning to execution, contributing to organizational operations across diverse business sectors.She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Aoyama Gakuin University.
Since 2016, she has served as an HR Generalist and HR Business Partner at foreign-owned manufacturing companies, leading initiatives such as compensation system reform, training program development, HRIT implementation, and office relocation projects. She has driven HR strategies from planning to execution, contributing to organizational operations across diverse business sectors.She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Aoyama Gakuin University.
Tom Yamada
Managing Director
Tomoaki Yamada joined Samurai Capital in March 2023. He was with the real estate investment group at Morgan Stanley from 2000-2012, heading its Asset Management team and responsible for acquisitions and dispositions. From 2012, he set up his own real estate consulting company Bliss Link, and also became advisor to Biken Techno, including the role of CEO in its property management arm Best Property until 2021, where he engaged in property management of assets owned on behalf of real estate funds and REITs. He started his career at JR East, involved in construction, design, planning, project management and valuation of JR’s mixed-used station facilities and residential developments from 1992-2000. Tomoaki Yamada acquired his BS degree from Waseda University’s Department of Architecture and is a qualified Class 1 Architect and licensed Real Estate Appraiser.
Keen Chung Lo
Director
Keen Chung Lo joined Samurai Capital in March 2022. He was previously with Global Student Accommodation (GSA) Group from 2014-2020, joining them in Hong Kong and relocating to Japan to support market entry and the establishment of GSA Star Asia’s JV. Prior to that, he was with the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) in Hong Kong, involved in the firm’s JV funds in value-add office and logistics development in Japan. Before that, he was with CBRE Japan and Asia Pacific Land (APL) Japan. He is from New York City, acquired his BS in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University, his MBA from the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, and holds a Japanese Real Estate Transaction Agent’s License.
Tatsuo Soma
Director
Tatsuo Soma joined Samurai Capital in May 2023. Previously, he was with Cushman & Wakefield Asset Management from 2014 to 2022, managing large-scale mixed-use properties and logistics facilities on behalf of domestic and overseas investors. Between 2007 and 2014, he was with Morimoto and Tosei Asset Advisors in acquisitions, asset management, and fund management, involved with development and securitization projects. Most recently, he was with Idera Capital Management’s Asset Management team as Deputy Manager overseeing cash management and operations of ski resort and hotel properties. Tatsuo Soma has a Master’s in Architecture and Building Engineering from Tokai University Graduate School.
Yoshikatsu Furuhashi
Director
Yoshikatsu Furuhashi joined Samurai Capital in December 2024. Previously, he worked at Mitsui & Co. Digital Asset Management from 2023 to 2024, where he was involved in asset management for real estate digital securities. From 2012 to 2022, he was at Savills Asset Advisory and Simplex REIT Partners (now Mizuho REIT Management) for asset management of a wide range of asset classes, including office, retail, residential and hotel properties. Prior to 2011, he worked at an IT development company focused on real estate AM companies, and contributed to the establishment of Prop Tech Plus. He is a professional in both IT and real estate. Yoshikatsu Furuhashi received his BA in Commerce from Waseda University.
Yukie Higashimura
Vice President
Yukie Higashimura joined Samurai Capital in April 2025. She previously worked in the Institutional, International and Investment Banking Division at Tokyo Star Bank since 2011. Prior to that, she worked at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and GMAC Japan, and she was responsible for a wide range of real estate-related investments, including non-recourse loan execution, CMBS issuance, asset management, securitization, and investor reporting. Before these, she worked for UBS, Credit Suisse, and Daiwa Securities, focusing on sales and trading support. Yukie Higashimura acquired her MBA from Nagasaki University Graduate School of Economics.
Yukiko Hori
Vice President
Yukiko Hori joined Samurai Capital in September 2025. She has a background in both front and middle office roles at foreign financial firms and has built her career with a strong focus on real estate finance. At GMAC Japan and UBS Securities, she was responsible for structuring and closing non-recourse real estate loans. Her most recent role was at Tokyo Star Bank, where she worked on loan execution for recourse lending. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and has completed a master’s program in Finance.
Ryook Kim
Vice President
Ryook Kim joined Samurai Capital in June 2016.
Prior to her current post, she worked for the Acquisition Group at Aetos Japan LLC from 2010 to 2016, engaged in the real estate investment business. Her main responsibilities included underwriting and structuring, as well as execution, investor relations, and debt financing. Before joining Aetos, Ryook was with Merrill Lynch Japan Securities as a member of the Global Principal Investments Group and the Global Structured Finance Group. She was responsible for principal investment for corporates and arrangement of securitized products. Ryook also provided M&A advisory services to various clients at the Investment Banking Division of Mizuho Securities Co, Ltd.
Ryook Kim acquired her MA and BA in Law both from Ritsumeikan University. She was also an exchange student at the University of British Columbia.
Shuto Chatani
Senior Advisor
Shuto Chatani has joined Samurai Capital in January 2022. He previously worked for Kasumigaseki Capital and Diamond Realty Management from 2019 to 2021 focused on acquisition and project management especially in development. Prior to that, he worked for Sumitomo Realty from 2017 to 2019 and his responsibilities included sourcing and asset management of office buildings. He acquired his BA in Social Science from Waseda University.
Ryo Hino
Associate
Ryo Hino joined Samurai Capital in April 2025. He previously worked for the Acquisition Department of Challenger from 2024-2025. Prior to joining Challenger, he worked in the Asset Solution Department of Hulic, where he participated in various investment projects. He holds a Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Architecture, Waseda University.
Ryutaro Morita
Associate
Ryutaro Morita joined Samurai Capital in August 2023. He previously worked for Nomura Securities under the Investment Banking Division from 2022-2023. During his time at Nomura Securities, he covered real estate companies and REITs, analyzing and executing various transactions, including but not limited to financing and M&A deals. He acquired his BA in Economics from Keio University.
Mai Ichijo
Associate
Mai Ichijo joined Samurai Capital in November 2025. Prior to that, she worked at CBRE Investment Management Japan K.K. from 2021 to 2025 in the Investment Management Division, where she was responsible for asset management of logistics facilities. From 2019 to 2021, she worked at Genkai Investment Advisor, managing solar power assets.
Before entering the real estate investment industry, Mai was a professional oboist, performing with various orchestras mainly in Germany. She holds a Master of Music degree from the Cologne University of Music.
Before entering the real estate investment industry, Mai was a professional oboist, performing with various orchestras mainly in Germany. She holds a Master of Music degree from the Cologne University of Music.
Yusei Kitade
Associate
Yusei Kitade is a real estate professional with experience in office and residential property acquisition and shared office development. From 2018 to 2023, he worked at Realgate Inc., focusing on planning and development of shared office spaces. From 2023 to 2025, he was engaged in property acquisition for offices and residences at A.D.Works Co., Ltd. He holds a degree in International Economics from Senshu University.
Alfred Wang
Analyst
Alfred Wang joined Samurai Capital in January 2025. Previously, he worked at Deloitte Consulting Japan from 2020 to 2024 in the Financial Services Industry division, contributing to strategic planning and IT implementation projects. He worked with clients across various sectors, including banking, credit cards, semiconductors, logistics, and chemicals, supporting both global and domestic initiatives. Alfred earned a Bachelor of Commerce in International Management from McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management and completed exchange programs at Sophia University and Tsinghua University.He is proficient in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Japanese.
Ryo Asada
Analyst
Ryo Asada joined Samurai Capital in June 2024. In parallel with her higher education, she gained experience working on Asia-Pacific projects with Midori Investors. Later, she also worked with Hoshino Resorts in the overseas development team, focusing on research and contract work for international projects. Additionally, she was involved in bamboo design projects with IBUKU in Bali. She completed her BSc in Urban Planning and Real Estate at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London in 2024.