Hajime Ishikawa is the General Manager of the Niigata Rheumatic Center. He graduated from Yamagata University School of Medicine in 1982 and began his medical career at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Niigata University School of Medicine. In 1983, he gained clinical experience at Niigata University Hospital and its affiliated institutions. By 1991, he was appointed Head of Orthopedic Surgery at the Niigata Prefectural Senami Hospital Rheumatology Center. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (PhD) from Niigata University in 1993. In 1995, he broadened his academic and research horizons as a Research Scholar at Michigan State University in the United States. Returning to Japan, he resumed his leadership role at the Senami Hospital Rheumatology Center in 1998. The following year, he was selected as the inaugural Japan-Europe Rheuma-surgery Exchange Fellow by the Japan Rheumatism Foundation. In 2006, he joined the Niigata Rheumatic Center as Medical Manager, later becoming Vice Director in 2013. In 2018, he was appointed Director of the Niigata Prefectural Rheumatology Center and concurrently served as Clinical Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Niigata University. Since 2024, he has held the position of General Manager and concurrently serves as Honorary Director of the Center.