Sakan Yanagidaira
　　Born in January 1940 in Tokyo. Graduated from the Economics Department of Keio University in 1962, employed by Marubeni-Iida Co., Ltd., and obtained leave of absence to study philosophy and international business in the United States. Studied liberal arts at Haverford College from 1962 to 1964 and also studied organization and marketing at The Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College. Obtained the degree of MBA from Tuck School in 1967. Returned to Marubeni-Iida Co., Ltd.

　　Started business in Japan as an independent corporate training planner and organization development trainer in 1970. Founded the Group Dynamics Institute, Inc. In 1975. Engaged in the development and marketing of the training programs, AIA (Adventures in Attitudes) and TOS (Training of Salesmanship). After launching of the AIA program (with 300,000 participants as of March 1993), he took up new programs including LifePOWER and Grow as a Pro. Besides working on these corporate education programs, launched programs for parents and teens, such as Transition, a program for junior high school students, STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) and STEP/TEEN.

　　Founded Jomon U Tra, Power-Up wellness health spa for executives in 1991 at Tateshina in Nagano Prefecture, with the program called Power-Up Fitness (PUF) Introduced a smoke cessation program called Smoke Stoppers in 1993.

　　Author and translator of:

Yaruki no Kenkogaku (Hygiene of Motivation) in 1987
The Power of Magnetic Personality by Robert Conklin in 1973
Ego-Bionics by Robert Conklin in 1975
Textbook of Salesmanship by F.A.Russell, F.H.Beach and R.H.Buskirk, in 1979
Raising a Responsible Child by Dr. Don Dinkmeyer and Dr. Ary D. McKay in 1983
How To Get People To Do Things by Robert Conklin in 1985
How To Live Almost Happily With a Teenager by Lois & Joel Davitz in 1987
The Motivation Leader by Lewis Losoncy in 1987
The Entrepreneur抯 Handbook by Richard H. Buskirk in 1989
Relationship Selling by Jim Cathcart in 1992

　　Also, the owner of two other companies: Takara Industries Co.,? Ltd., which mainly assembles components for computers and audio machines as subcontractor for major companies in electronics industry, such as Toshiba, etc. The other company is Yutaka Trends, Inc., which deals with abrasive powder for polishing silicon wafers for printed? LSI circuits, as well as lapping machines, polishing machines, diamond tools and solder.