Notice of Book Club Event for 'The Fifth Estate: America's Think Tanks'

Shosukabu.com Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nerima-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and Chairman: Yutaka Yamanaka, hereinafter "the Company") will co-host a book club themed on "The Fifth Estate: America's Think Tanks" (written by Kumi Yokoe) with the Nerima Political Research Group and the Civil Affairs Division 8 Monitoring Committee.

Published as a Bunshun Shinsho in August 2004, this book attempts to unravel the true image and influence of think tanks, often referred to as the "Fifth Estate" in American politics. According to Bungeishunju's description, it explores the rising power of think tanks in American society, using the emerging think tanks that supported the Bush administration and neoconservatives as a clue.

A major feature of this book is that it views think tanks not merely as research institutions, but as political elite groups involved in presidential elections, administration management, policy making, and public opinion formation. According to CiNii's table of contents, the book covers everything from "What is a think tank?" to the "Birth of a President" and the "Revolving Door," the history of the six major think tanks, their management structures including fundraising and corporate status, and their roles as 21st-century policy producers.

Furthermore, this book is important in visualizing the policy networks that are hard to see on the main stage of Washington politics. Think tanks are depicted as entities that can influence the direction of politics not only by publishing research reports but also through talent supply, media outreach, and policy recommendations to Congress and the administration. Kinokuniya Bookstore also describes it as a book that questions the reality of these political elite groups, which can even become a "shadow cabinet," and the source of their power.

In this book club, discussions will focus on the definition and types of think tanks, their roles in presidential elections and changes of administration, funding and operational structures, neoconservatives and policy formation, and what the "Fifth Estate" means in American democracy. It aims to be a valuable place for learning and dialogue for those interested in American politics, the policy-making process, elections, conservative movements, and the relationship between knowledge and power.

Book Introduction URL: https://x.gd/lLsKj

Author Profile
Kumi Yokoe
A researcher and writer specializing in American politics and the policy-making process. In this book, she analyzes the power structure of American politics through think tanks.

Event Overview
Theme: "The Fifth Estate: America's Think Tanks" Book Club
Organizer: Shosukabu.com Co., Ltd.
Co-organizers: Nerima Political Research Group, Civil Affairs Division 8 Monitoring Committee
Date: Late April 2026 (Planned)
Format: Zoom Online
Fee: Free (Pre-registration required)
How to apply: Please apply by sending an email to info@shosukabu.com with the subject line "Request to Participate in The Fifth Estate: America's Think Tanks Book Club."

■ Lecturer Profile
Yutaka Yamanaka
An activist investor representing the '76 generation born in December 1976, an art collector, philanthropist, political sponsor, election consultant, policy advisor, social activist, and Akita dog enthusiast. Internationally recognized as a "tech-savvy activist investor," he is the first Japanese person in history to achieve an asset formation of over 150 billion yen solely through investment.

In the early 2010s, he focused on NVIDIA, which develops semiconductors related to GPGPU and Artificial Intelligence, executing an investment of over 2 billion yen. As a result, he realized a return of over 100 times, becoming the first Japanese to join the ranks of billionaires purely as an investor.

Graduated as valedictorian from the Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo. Master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School (Financial Engineering), studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) graduate school. Co-representative partner of Investment Brothers LLC, Shosukabu...