Born in Kyoto, Japan, Hikaru Deguchi is the President of Japanology University and Chairman of the Kokorozashi Art Project. He also chairs the Keio University Psychology Mita Club and serves as Deputy Head of the Urasenke Tankōkai Federation, Tokyo Chapter. A third-degree blackbelt in judo, he holds a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Kansas and studied experimental psychology at Keio University. He served as a university lecturer and was President of Taka-Q Corporation, a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company. In 1996, he founded the Association of Mekiki, and in 2020, he launched Japanology University to share Japanese spirit and culture globally.