Hiroshi Kawata (born 1987) is a Japanese economist and Chief Economist at Mizuho Research Institute. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he joined the Bank of Japan, where he worked on macroeconomic analysis, monetary policy, inflation expectations, and financial stability. He later earned a master's degree in economics from Duke University and joined Mizuho Research & Technologies in 2023. His research focuses on the Japanese economy, labor markets, inflation, and monetary policy, and he is a frequent contributor to major Japanese media outlets. His best-known book, "Hataraku Hito ga Hette Iku Kuni de Korekara Okiru Koto" ("What Will Happen in a Country with Fewer Workers"), examines how labor shortages, the FIRE movement, and demographic change are reshaping Japan's economy and explores the country's future under population decline.
