A Doshisha Business School professor, Murayama Yuzo also served as vice president of Doshisha University from 2014–2016. He was born in the Nishijin district of Kyoto and, after graduating from Doshisha, earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Washington. Before becoming a professor, he was a securities analyst for Nomura Research Institute at its Tokyo head office and London branch and researched high-tech industries in Europe and the United States. At present, he is an independent director of JR West and a member of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry Smart Business Support Team. He is a recognized authority on business aspects of heritage industries. He received the Fujita Future Management Economic Award for Tekunoshisutemu tenkan no senryaku [Strategy of techno system conversion] (NHK Books, 2000), and the Most Outstanding Book Award from the Japan Association for International Security for Keizai anzen hosho o kangaeru [A consideration of economic security] (NHK Books, 2003).
