Yuko Nakao, President and CEO of Bushiroad Move Inc.

Staying close to our customers and delivering content that meets the needs of the times

Yuko Nakao, President and CEO of Bushiroad Move Inc.

■ Profile
Graduated from the Faculty of International Liberal Studies at Sophia University. Joined Bushiroad Inc. mid-career in September 2016. After joining the company, he was assigned to the Public Relations and Advertising Department. In November 2019, he became Representative Director and President of Hibiki Inc. In February 2020, Hibiki Inc. inherited the advertising agency business from Bushiroad Media Inc. through an absorption-type split, and on the same day, the company name was changed to "Bushiroad Move Inc." (hereinafter, "our company").

Bushiroad Move Co., Ltd. operates a variety of businesses, from advertising agencies to managing voice actor agencies. Its vision is to spread the appeal of Bushiroad, which produces trading card games and other content, to the world and stay ahead of the times. We spoke to Representative Director Yuko Nakao, who strives to liven up the entertainment industry, about a wide range of topics, from the company's business to the rewards of her work.

■What are the three arrows that make the most of your individuality?

Bushiroad Move was established in 2020 as a subsidiary of the trading card game company Bushiroad. We currently operate three businesses.
The first is our production business. We have our own studio and produce more than 20 programs per month featuring Bushiroad Move voice actors and professional wrestlers from New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Stardom. As the number of offline events has decreased due to the COVID-1 pandemic, we have shifted to streaming. Our strength is that we handle everything in-house, from program casting to delivery. Having our own talent reduces the time spent on scheduling. From the program planning stage, we place importance on how to convey the appeal of the content to our customers and how to promote it.
We also have a voice recording booth in-house, which is used for a wide range of purposes, including narration, radio, and app voice recording. We also operate an internet radio service called Hibiki Radio Station. We also deliver content to fans via terrestrial radio. One of our aims is to raise awareness of Bushiroad's content among people who happen to tune in to the radio. This is also why you often see Bushiroad-related advertisements on trains, television, and other places.
The second business that Bushiroad Move is focusing on is the management of voice actors and talents. The voice actor agency "Hibiki" has a total of 22 members, both male and female. In addition to working as a voice actor, some talents have aspirations to be active in multiple fields, such as "singing" or "appearing on stage." Currently, eight managers manage their schedules and support them with lessons, sales, auditions, and more. "Hibiki" values ​​the individuality of each of its affiliated voice actors. They also actively promote their work on social media.
Our third business is advertising agency work. We have connections with media in various genres, including television, radio, magazines, and the web, and we propose new advertisements and events to our clients. We have a lot of experience working within the Bushiroad Group, so we also work with clients outside the group, drawing on past performance.

■My future goal is to increase the amount of external work I do.

Currently, Bushiroad Move's sales come from both the Bushiroad Group and other sources. Our goal is to increase the amount of work we do for external clients in the future. For example, one recent project that left a lasting impression on me was the collaboration between Mita Seimenjo and the smartphone app "The Lord of the Rings: The Battle Begins." Not only was it a collaboration at the store, but we also had wrestlers from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which is part of the Bushiroad Group, try Mita Seimenjo's tsukemen and promote it on Twitter. In this way, Bushiroad Move excels at connecting Bushiroad Group content with external clients. We would like to use this strength to get involved in a variety of industries, not just entertainment, in the future.

■ Further growth without being bound by conventional wisdom

Bushiroad Move's future goal is to double its annual sales. Naturally, we won't be able to achieve this goal by doing only what we're doing now. There are many areas where we need to grow in the future. We're constantly taking on new challenges, such as film distribution and investing in anime production committees. Creating a project together with other companies always leads to new encounters and discoveries. We also believe it's important for entertainment companies to cooperate with each other and liven up the industry. While we sometimes think of our competitors as rivals (laughs), we value our relationships with other companies and strive to create mutual benefits. To that end, Bushiroad Move will continue to provide our customers with innovative and unique advertising and events.

■Message to university students

I think the best thing to do while you're a university student is to have lots of fun. When I was a university student, I didn't have a clear idea of ​​the job I wanted to do or the person I wanted to be in the future. Although I didn't join Bushiroad because I loved games or anime, after joining the company I discovered the joys of work and working in this industry. There's absolutely no need to rush to find your dream for the future or the job you want to do. Before I knew it, I had become a company president. Your future is full of possibilities. Even if you don't have a clear idea of ​​your dream for the future or the job you want to do now, once you start working you'll surely think, "I'm glad I took this job." First of all, don't be afraid to take a step into society!

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on October 14, 2022 by Meiji University 4th year student, Yaku Sakai