Yuji Miyajima, Representative Director, Mobile Factory Co., Ltd.

A look at the dramatic turnaround from unfortunate student days to founding the company

Profile

Yuji Miyajima
After graduating from Chuo University in 1995, he joined SoftBank Corp.
After moving to CyberAgent Inc. and starting up his own business, he founded Mobile Factory in 2001. They have developed games such as "Station Memories!", in which players compete to access approximately 9,000 stations across Japan using location information, as well as a service that provides music on a monthly subscription basis. In 2018, they began developing services using blockchain technology, aiming to update the entertainment industry.

Mobile Factory has been in business for 20 years. They change their products to suit the times and are constantly challenging themselves to create new value. But when asked, "What inspired you to start your own company?" Miyajima spoke of his experiences as a teenager as if he were reciting a fictional movie. We spoke to him about the surprising path to starting his own company, and his passion for it.

■Unfortunate student days and later decisions

When I was 18, my family's business went bankrupt. My life was like something out of a TV drama, with debt collectors coming every day. I managed to get some financial support from my relatives and go to university, but I received no money from home. I needed to earn my own living, so I lived in a dormitory for Tochigi residents in Urawa and worked part-time three to five days a week. It was during this time that I began to think, "In this world, there's no hope when you're in a difficult situation. I need strength." And I realized that that strength is money. I've always been a strong-willed person, but this thought instantly became my driving force. I resolved to become rich—that is, an entrepreneur—and began job hunting. I applied primarily to securities and trading companies, where it's easy to become an entrepreneur. Having admired Masayoshi Son as an entrepreneur, I decided to join SoftBank, which wasn't yet listed on the stock market at the time.

■The path to starting a business

At the time, SoftBank's business was different from what it is today. I worked as a B2B salesperson, proposing and selling software and hardware to major system integrators. My dream was to become an entrepreneur, so I worked hard while simultaneously preparing to start my own business. After five years at SoftBank, one of the original members of CyberAgent introduced me to President Fujita, and I had the opportunity to discuss a service I was thinking about developing. After I explained the details, he asked me if I wanted to work on it. Since it was a business with many bottlenecks that would be too difficult to run alone, I decided to join CyberAgent in 1999. At the time, CyberAgent only had around 10 employees. I worked in advertising sales and media development at CyberAgent. However, after two years at the company, the opt-in email business I had launched within CyberAgent was sold to GMO. I was unsure what to do next, but since I was turning 30, I decided to go independent.

■Background of the mobile game business

This is how our current company was founded in 2001. Mobile Factory initially rented ringtone systems. Then, seeing other companies opening up their game platforms, we launched our own game business around 2009, hoping to increase our user base through games. At the time, most mobile games were web-based, so we wanted to develop games with a more user-friendly experience. We created many games based on our employees' ideas, but none of them were hits. Until 2013, our game business was consistently in the red. However, looking at the numbers, we found that among the many games we developed, there was one with a high retention rate. That was a "location-based game." While location-based games are now used in many games, they were a niche at the time, and we saw potential in them, so we poured all our available resources into them. Sales grew, and we decided to go public in 2015. Analyzing the numbers, selecting businesses to invest in, and focusing on one area is a philosophy I highly value. After all, available resources are limited, so it's best to focus your efforts on specific areas.
Also, when asked what differentiates us from other companies, I think it's the genre itself. There are a lot of mobile games out there, but there are very few games in the genre that you can enjoy using location information while riding the train. In the genre of games you can play on the train, Mobile Factory's games have the largest number of users in Japan.

■ Providing "fun" that suits the times

I don't think of Mobile Factory as a game company. Our mission is to make people happy and entertain them. In other words, since our goal is to entertain, we're not particular about the product, in a positive sense. In fact, Mobile Factory has transformed its business three times since its founding. We started with ringtones, then moved into advertising, games, and now we're challenging ourselves with updating entertainment using blockchain. Our business operations change with the times. With this in mind, I first want to hire students who enjoy entertaining others. Secondly, I want students who are open to change. People who are not tied to the means, but who can think of ways to provide the "fun" that best suits the times and can choose flexibly are a good fit for our company. We're living in an era of rapid change due to the impact of COVID-3, but I want to hire people who can take a positive approach to change and move forward proactively.

■The future of Mobile Factory

There are concerns about Japan's future population decline. However, information technology and science and technology will continue to develop, and work productivity will increase. As a result, people will have more time to enjoy leisure activities, and entertainment will become more in demand. In particular, we feel that there is high demand for our content, such as mobile games, which can be enjoyed at a relatively low cost.
My greatest wish now is not to acquire "money," as I thought when I was a student. I want to make life more convenient, enjoyable, and happier for people around the world through Mobile Factory's services. I want to create more and more services that can be used by over 1 million users.

■Message to university students

First of all, I want to say that "it is a great blessing to have been born in Japan." If you go to other countries, you will find that many of them restrict the way you live your life. But in comparison, Japan tolerates a certain degree of diversity in any way you live. And once you enter society, you have countless options. A life of challenge, a life that aims for stability, a life that meets your parents' expectations, a life that follows your own will. In this country, you have the freedom to make choices. Instead of worrying about the present, I hope you will try not to overthink it and enjoy this diverse world.

Student newspaper WEB coverage on December 8, 2020

　 Keio University, 1st year student, Miyu Ito

Keio University freshman Miyu Ito / Komazawa University senior Taichi Nyoi