Mirrativ Inc. CEO Junichi Akagawa

2025.02.20

I want to expand the world where people are connected by what they love.

Junichi Akagawa, CEO of Mirrativ Inc.

■ Profile
After graduating from the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University, he joined DeNA. In April 2012, he became the youngest executive officer and oversaw the overseas business, browser game business, etc. In February 2018, he founded Mirrativ through an MBO of the Mirrativ business from DeNA.

Mirrativ Inc. offers a service that allows anyone to easily live stream games with just a smartphone. With the theme of connecting people through the things they love, the company has created a community platform that creates a place where people can create their own stories through games. We spoke with Akagawa, CEO and Representative Director, about Mirrativ's strengths and the potential of live games.

■My student days were filled with music and the internet

I was completely immersed in music from high school onwards. I was a music nerd, I was in a band, and I even cut back on my food expenses to spend all my part-time job earnings on CDs.
At the time, the Internet wasn't as freely available as it is now, and phone calls were expensive. However, calls were free from 11pm onwards. So, as soon as 11pm rolled around, I'd connect to the chat and talk with music lovers from all over Japan. It was such an important experience for me that I'm still in contact with the people I met there.
I was serious about working in music, so when I was job hunting, I sent a full resume to Rockin' On, but to my surprise, I was rejected. Looking back, I understand that I was too enthusiastic and probably came across as a troublesome student (laughs). That was the first time I realized how difficult work can be. Later, I happened to attend a company information session and encountered DeNA. Chairman Namba spoke with such energy, I thought, "This sounds like an interesting company," and decided to join. I spent the first year and a half in sales, and the next year and a half in marketing. When I was transferred to the marketing department, my boss asked me on my first day, "What do you want to do in the future?" I answered honestly, "I'm going to quit in three years and start a band." He got mad at me. He said, "If you want it so badly, quit now and start a band!" I cried all night, thought about it, and decided to work a little harder. That was the turning point. From then on, I dedicated myself to my work. From my first year, I was conscious of thinking for myself and questioning common sense. For example, at the time, it was said that "games for feature phones don't advertise," but at DeNA, the year "Mobage" started to become popular, I thought, "Well, isn't it normal to advertise games on game services?" and when I went into sales, it surprisingly led to success. I learned the importance of acting without being bound by common sense.

■ Anyone can easily enjoy game commentary

My own formative experiences were a big part of what inspired me to found Mirrativ. Connecting with fellow music lovers during my student days broadened my life, and I thought my next challenge would be in the area of connecting with people through hobbies. That's when I thought of game commentary. I wanted to connect with friends through my favorite games, and create that "feeling like playing games at a friend's house" online. What's more, game commentary is a growing market globally, so I thought I could compete on the world stage. On top of that, I discovered technology that allows game commentary using just a smartphone, and I was convinced, "This could work!" And so Mirrativ was born.
Mirrativ's strength is that we've always built our service from the perspective of the streamer. For example, while YouTube displays recommended videos for viewers' enjoyment, Mirrativ is designed for streamers' enjoyment. The most frustrating part of streaming is when no one watches. That's why we've created an algorithm that naturally brings together fellow gamers, creating an environment where someone starts watching the moment you start streaming. We also value the real-time nature of live streaming. If someone says, "I love this game!" and immediately responds, "Me too!", it raises the enthusiasm and increases the value of the platform. This can sometimes make you think, "Well, maybe I should give them a little support." In fact, Mirrativ has developed a culture of exchanging gifts, where people exchange gifts like, "Thank you the other day, I'll give you this," and natural communication is born.

■ Future outlook

I believe that "live games," which combine games and live streaming, will be the next big trend. Currently, game commentaries are basically just a way of watching, with the most you can do is type in comments. But with live games, viewers can give recovery items to the streamer in real time and play with them right then and there. Just as the emergence of Facebook gave rise to the social gaming genre, now that live streaming has become commonplace, a new experience called "live games" will naturally emerge. We will continue to take on new challenges, assuming that live games will be commonplace in 10 years' time.

■Message to university students

I think today's university students are truly amazing. Unlike in the past, the barriers to accessing and deepening knowledge about things you want to know and things you like have been dramatically lowered, and as a result, the level of specialization has increased dramatically. This is why their knowledge and passion for what they "like" should already be on a level comparable to that of working adults. I want them to have confidence and pursue what they love. Becoming a working adult does not necessarily mean it's boring. There are many adults who have mastered what they truly love and are living cool lives. So, first of all, I want you to have the best possible university life, and then have confidence in what you "like" and find your own career and good life.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 21, 2024 by Rikkyo University fourth-year student Narina Ogata