Ko Shioya, born in 1940, is a veteran author/journalist who has followed his nation’s international relations extensively, with a special interest in the history of Japan’s diplomatic relations with the U.S. and Korea. Since leaving Bungei Shunju Ltd. a leading Japanese publisher of books and magazines for which he served as North American Bureau Chief 1994-2001, Shioya has researching the history of Japan’s diplomacy with the U.S. for his next book to discuss whether the Pacific War could have been avoid. Prior to joining Bungei Shunju Ltd., he was an Associated Press reporter and editor-in-chief of the Japanese edition of the Reader’s Digest.