Senior Assistant Minister for Health Security, Science and Technology, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan
Dr Sahara has been Senior Assistant Minister for Health Security, Science and Technology since July 2020. He started his career as a pediatrician at Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center in Yokohama and joined the Ministry as a medical officer.

He served in various positions within the Ministry, including Director of Research and Development Division where he was responsible for the promotion of research and development in the field of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and regenerative medicine and established “Five Year National Strategy to Vitalize Clinical Research in Japan”. He was also the Director of Health Science Division where he was responsible for budgeting, allocation, and management of the Ministry’s research fund on various health fields, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and artificial intelligence on health.

He also worked at the Health for Ageing Division as deputy Director and Director. The Division is formulating the policy for healthy ageing and also long-term care insurance. He was seconded to WHO/HQs as Senior Advisor on Non-Communicable Diseases in 2014-2015 to assist WHO to frame its policy on NCD in the era of SDGs.

Before assuming current position, he was the Senior Assistant Minister for Global Affairs at the Minister’s Secretariat.

He graduated Kanazawa University School of Medicine and Harvard University School of Public Health.