Toshihiro Takami(高見敏弘) is the founder of the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Japan. Takami was a Christian pastor assigned to a disaster relief project in Bangladesh after the floods of 1970. Discerning a dearth of capable and committed local leaders, he determined to establish an institute dedicated to providing them training and skills to increase their capacity to serve their people. In 1973, he founded the Asian Rural Institute, or ARI.