Kadokawa Corporation, Director, President and CEO, Takeshi Natsuno

Thoroughly pursuing the two pillars of creativity and technology

Kadokawa Corporation, Director, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO, Takeshi Natsuno

■ Profile
Born in 1962. Graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. Joined Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation. In 1990, he studied at the Graduate School of Communication at Boston University in the United States, earning a master's degree in corporate public relations. In 1998, he ran for the House of Councillors election and was first elected. He is currently the chairman of the board of trustees of Kinki University and Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Councillors. He graduated from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University and joined Tokyo Gas. He graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. After working as a vice president at a venture company, he joined NTT Docomo. He currently serves as Representative Executive Officer and President of KADOKAWA Corporation and Representative Director and President of Dwango Co., Ltd.

Kadokawa Corporation is not just a publishing company, but has become a hub for Japanese entertainment through a wide variety of businesses. We spoke with President and CEO Takeshi Natsuno about Kadokawa's business activities and approach to work.

■What kind of student life did you have?

Looking back on my university days, I wanted to get a part-time job that would be beneficial for my future employment, so I worked on a development project for a cosmetics company and in recruitment, but I wish I had studied more seriously.
I joined Tokyo Gas as a new graduate, and believe that it was there that I was able to establish my identity as a working member of society. After that, I decided that in order to succeed as a businessman, I needed to attend graduate school in the United States, so I went abroad to study. After returning to Japan, I founded Japan's first internet venture company, and this experience led to a variety of career paths, leading to my appointment as president of Kadokawa in 2021.

■Please tell us what you should do as a manager.

Kadokawa is unique in that it is not just involved in publishing, but also in a variety of entertainment-related businesses. While aiming to create new added value using the internet, it places great importance on the thorough pursuit of two pillars: creativity and technology. These two are closely related, and the more technology you use, the more free time you have, which can then be spent on creative activities. There are many problems that can be solved by introducing technology, and the digital printing equipment installed at Tokorozawa Sakura Town is one such example, which has made a significant contribution to improving profit margins.
It is also important to raise employee motivation. For example, we have a free agent (FA) transfer system. This system allows employees who are attracted to other departments to transfer there, and 200 people have been transferred there in the past two years. We are also promoting Activity Based Working (ABW), a work style that allows employees to freely choose where they work. Currently, 75% of all employees have chosen to work remotely. ABW is particularly popular among female employees. In this way, technology eliminates the barrier of location, making it possible to discover talent from all over the world.

■Please give us a message for the students

Use this time to pursue what you want to do. If you waste your four years at university, you will fall behind students from other countries who have studied hard. Make the most of your precious free time now.

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