Akio Takeda

Alliance Section Manager • CELSYS, Inc. Sales and Alliance Department

Ami Oike

Ayano

Technical Artist

Ayano’s interest in 3DCG and VR was awakened by his involvement in VRChat. Ayano now works as an independent creator using tools like Unity and Houdini. He focuses on the development and sales of Unity assets used in creating virtual worlds, such as Starry Sky Shader and Cloud See Shader.

Catarina Cho

Senior Professional • Samsung Electronics / Technology Strategy Group

Catarina Cho is a technology partnership manager at Technology Strategy Group of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. Her main area of focus for business development and partnership management is the S Pen technology.

Chihiro Tai

Hajime Asada

Cloud ET Core Project Leader • ワコム

After joining Wacom in 2013, Hajime Asada worked on new channel & business development for digital writing instruments, as well as on corporate sales in the media & entertainment and industrial design sectors. He assumed the position of Cloud ET Core Project Leader in 2020. He is currently promoting the experience of working with digital pens in remote or cloud environments and projects for the creation of new business. His hobbies include keeping aquarium fish.

Hajime Fukuda

Art Director, Composer, Soundscape Designer, Pianist

Hajime Fukuda is a composer and soundscape designer based in Berlin and Hokkaido. As a pianist, he plays melodies that take inspiration from his travels around the world. He specializes in spatial production that makes full use of the sound for musical experiences accessible only to those who are actually present in the space. Live on stage, he creates cutting-edge performances by mixing programming with piano improvisation. He has appeared at the RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL, the Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris (MCJP), and at an event in Berlin commemorating 150 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and Japan. He designed the sonic environment of Hoshino Resort TOMAMU and Roppongi Hills (a commercial complex in Tokyo).

Hideo (Harry) Yokoi

Hideo Yokoi welcomes every opportunity to get to know people, in line with his belief that, “every encounter is not a coincident but the result of inevitability.” He enjoys active interactions with people from many different industries. Wacom is rich in unique talents, most notably its CEO, making it a source of inspiration and new ideas for him. This makes his collaboration with Wacom a pleasure.

Hiroki Nakayama

PILOT CORPORATION

When Hiroki Nakayama came across the “Automac” – a mechanical pencil made by PILOT – as a student, it was love at first sight. In pursuit of his passion, he joined the company in April 2021 and began working at Shonan Development Center as of June in the same year. As a member of the group working on the exterior design of writing instruments at the Center, he is actively developing new mechanisms by drawing strength from his academic background in machine engineering. His hobby is collecting mechanical pencils, and the all-time great, the “Automac,” remains his favorite among his vast collection. His personal motto is not to lose his “insatiable curiosity.”

Hiroshi Tamano

Executive Business Planner

Hiroshi Tamano joined Wacom in 2017. In his previous position as Director at HTC Japan, he played a leading role in introducing VR devices to the Japanese market. At Wacom, he is in charge of the planning and development of VR design systems as well as merchandise planning for brand products. His current focus is on developing new added-value services. As an expert in the field of mobile communication, he aspires to build environments which allow creators to work freely anywhere, anytime.

Hirotaka

You ain't heard nothin' yet.

Hirotaka Suzuki

Executive Vice President, CTO • エスディーテック株式会社

For many years, Hirotaka Suzuki has been focusing on UI/UX technologies for cell phones & in-built car devices. He believes in the power of design engineering to give products a higher utility value, and is thus actively promoting R&D activities to realize this vision. The current emphasis within this development is on Human Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI) and its application within products with the aim of obtaining a “deeper understanding of people through technologies.”

Hiroto Nishitani

映像制作室室長 テクニカルスーパーバイザー • 株式会社ダンデライオンアニメーションスタジオ

95年からキャリアスタート。ジェネラリストとして培った作業経験を活かし、近年は各セクションのサポートもするテクニカルスーパーバイザーとして、また、制作部門の室長として、現場スタッフのテクニカルサポートからマネージメントまでを行っている。12月公開の映画『THE FIRST SLAM DUNK』では、R&D リギングスーパーバイザーとして活躍。

Hiroyuki Fujita

Chief Design Producer • Fujitsu Client Computing Limited

As a Fujitsu product designer, I designed a wide range of products from medical devices to supercomputers. Currently, I am at Fujitsu Client Computing, supervising everything from corporate communication design to product creation and development.I have received domestic and overseas design awards such as Good Design Award (G-mark), IF design award, and the Asia Design award.

Hisa Kasajima

CEO Eallin Japan, Founder of GBXD • Eallin Japan Co., Ltd/ GBXD

After working at a major commercial TV station, Hisa Kasajima joined Eallin, an animation production company based in Prague, in 2007 and set up Eallin Japan after returning to his homeland. He produces animations and films while promoting various creators in unveiling their talents in Japan and around the world. In 2021, he set up GravityBeyond XD, a content production brand with an emphasis on VR, virtual characters, and IP games. Currently, he is developing a 2D action game, “Dimension Girl Coneru,” scheduled to be released on Steam/Switch in Summer 2023.

Hong-Keun Park

Principal Professional • Samsung Electronics / Experience Planning Group2

Hong-Keun Park is responsible for planning and marketing of Galaxy mobile's connected experience at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics.

jbstyle.

Illustrator, Artist

Jbstyle actively produces a variety of artworks such as games and manga, and is often featured as a live performer around the world, incl. in Los Angeles, San Diego, Paris, Shanghai, and Taiwan. He won First Place at the Digital Art Battle LIMITS Japan in 2019 and Second Place in the World Championship in 2019. He ranked among the top four in the Asian Championship 2022.

Jim Chang

AVP, eNote BU Head • E Ink Holdings Inc.

Jim Chang has worked in the display industry for over 20 years. He joined E Ink in 2016 as Head Product Manager and led the new eNote Business Unit from 2020 onwards. His vision is to provide customers with the best pen input user experience on the E Ink ePaper display.

Juwan Park

Head of Writing Solutions Lab / Principal Engineer • Samsung Electronics / Display Group

Juwan Park is the head engineer leading the Writing Solutions Lab of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. His main area of focus is engineering and development of the S Pen solution for Samsung's mobile products.

Kaoru Aoyama

General Producer • Draw A Lot

Born in 1993. After graduating from Gakushuin University, gained working experience and expertise on event production at “Tokyo Culture Culture” and eventual independence. Seeing artists stopped from work due to the pandemic-caused business slump, planned and launched DRAW A LOT. Besides this organization, activities and services extend to various fields such as pop idol branding support and online streaming consultancy for a national museum. Also Secretary General of SOMA, an NPO.

Katayama Yuki

Kei Narushima

President

Kei Narushima began his career at CELSYS when he took on a part-time student job there. Upon successfully completing his degree in Product Design in 1997, he immediately joined CELSYS as a Designer. His activities covered 2D/3D graphic design, web design, and software interface designs. He was appointed as Director in 2001, Deputy President in 2009, and President (his current position) in 2016.

Keisuke Takahashi

PILOT CORPORATION

Keisuke Takahashi joined PILOT in 2021 and was assigned to Shonan Development Center in June of the same year. Since his entry into the company, he has been responsible for developing tips for ball-point pens. He is always on the look-out for new tips, while also delving into PILOT’s rich technological history. Visiting stationery shops has been his hobby since his student days, and he is always in search for new stationery finds. As the proverb goes: “The scholar may become the master,” and he hopes to surpass the achievements of his predecessors one day.

Keisy

Particle Live Artist

Keisy is an independent creator specialized in creating live performances using VFX such as particles in VRChat called Particle Live. One of his main skills is his rendering, which is characterized by the real-time movements of avatars in combination with the fantastical feel of the scenery.

Kizuku Ishimaru

Senior Specialist • Wacom

Wacom Project Manager from the very start of collaboration between Wacom and Ars Electronica in 2020.

Kohei Hamajima

CEO • ICREA

Born in Obu City, Aichi Prefecture. Attended Prefectural Obu Higashi High School. Graduated from Meijo University (Faculty of Science and Technology). Acquired CG skills by auto-didactic learning. Part-time 3DCG designer with local game developer during student days. Worked as a designer at a promotion video producer, also gained experience in sales and back-office works in areas other than design. Self-employed by founding a company (predecessor of ICREA) in 2008. Foundation of ICREA in 2021. ICREA offers services for promoting character contents for videos, illustrations, figures and goods under the motto of “Creativity + Imagination = Smile of People Around You”. Through ICREA, hopes to enhance the standing of creators and create more activity venues for creators.

Masaaki Fukuda

VP of Consumer Products

After obtaining a Master’s degree from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, he joined SONY and worked on the launch of the PlayStaion3 and the development of PlayStation Network. He then moved to GREE, where he was engaged in the planning, development, operation, and business management of mobile social games. He currently works in the field of new business development at Preferred Networks.

Mayu Morimoto

Born in Utsunomia City, Tochigi, Mayu Morimoto is the caring mother of one child. Upon graduating from university, she worked in Sales at IBM Japan to provide IT-based solutions for corporate business issues. Her belief in the vital role played by education in Japanese society, with its declining birthrate and aging population, prompted her to take up her current position at Casio in 2021. She has been evangelical about ClassPad.net ever since. She provides initial consultations to schools wanting to introduce the technology to their classrooms and conducts hands-on demonstrations of the products.

Nao Oda

PILOT CORPORATION

Nao Oda joined PILOT in April 2021 and was assigned to Shonan Development Center in June of the same year. In her day-to-day work developing water-based ink, she hopes to share the joy of writing with more and more people through the products she develops. With a passion for drawing and painting in her spare time, she loves to create illustrations both with analog and digital tools.

Naoya Oda

Application Development Manager

Since joining CELSYS in 2010, Naoya Oda has been developing CLIP STUDIO PAINT from the very start using his expertise in graphic software and DTP. As Application Development Manager, he is responsible for the technical implementation of various app stores and devices, facilitating cooperation between Development and other divisions within the company, while also playing a role in building bridges in relationship with alliance partners.

Natsuki Nakamura

Channel Sales Manager

Natsuki Nakamura built his career in direct sales, where he introduced Splashtop systems in over 250 companies. In his current assignment in corporate partnership business, he works towards maximizing the synergy effects of this business. He also appears as a speaker at seminars and workshops for his partner companies.

Nobutaka Ide

President and CEO • Wacom

Nobu joined Wacom in 2013 after working in product & business planning at a Japanese consumer electronics company. He assumed the role of CEO in 2018 and established Connected Ink Village, supporting “new human expression and learning” within communities. He enjoys reading, playing musical instruments, writing poems, and working on creative collaboration with his daughter, a professional performer. His favorite author is Yukio Mishima, and he loves the music of Tchaikovsky and Sion.

Nobuyasu Hirobe

Creative Director • mui Lab株式会社 / mui Lab, Inc.

Nobuyasu Hirobe is Co-Founder and Creative Director at mui Lab. After working as an in-house designer, he invented the mui Board made of natural wood as a feel-good IoT interface for stress-free digital living. He seeks to realize UI designs to use as prompts for a sequence of digital operations in everyday human life.

NORA

Contemporary Dancers, Performers

A contemporary dance team moving as one through time.

Noritaka Houri

Manager • 株式会社Ｚ会

After joining Z-kai Inc. in 1997, he produced learning materials for junior high and high school students, and then was in charge of planning and designing Z-kai Asteria. Later, he became manager of teaching materials and worked on the release of an app-based distance learning service in 2021. He continues to improve the service and develop new functions to provide personalized and optimized learning that satisfies even high-level students.

Ryo Inaba

Lead Engineer, CLIP STUDIO PAINT

Since joining CELSYS in 2012, Ryo Inaba has been developing various features of CLIP STUDIO PAINT and its fundamental frameworks. He is a key figure in developing an iPad version of CLIP STUDIO PAINT, which was previously only available for desktop use. In his current role as Lead Engineer, he supervises the overall development of CLIP STUDIO PAINT software.

Ryoji Ishii

As well as being in charge of business planning and executive management, Ryoji Ishii is also a leading figure in promoting the Creative Rights Initiative in Japan. He is currently engaged in the development of Wacom Yuify, a new service that allows creators to secure authorship of their artworks, and to store the background information and stories behind their works. As a fan of rap music, As a fan of rap music, he indulges in daydreams of launching a Creative “Rhyme” Initiative one day.

Ryoma Kawajiri

Engineer

After obtaining a Master’s degree at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo (majoring in Machine Informatics), where he researched cutting-edge machine learning and IoT, Ryoma Kawajiri started his career as a Lead Engineer at an IoT startup. He is currently engaged in the development of machine learning and robots at Preferred Networks.

Satoru Kobayashi

Artist • Atelier Mayura of Rumbini Art Museum

His favorite musicians are Billy Joel, Queen, Yosui Inoue, Spitz and THE BOOM. He also loves walking. Satoru began to write all the letters in his diary and compose them in a unique way while he was in a secondary school for the disabled. At first, teachers at the school struggled to find a way to fix it, but eventually they came to see this as an attractive sculptural expression. With this as a turning point, his expression began to be seen as a form of art that spreads joy to many people.

siro

漫画家

Shiro made his debut with his Yamano Susume (Encouragement of Climb) comics published in Earth Star Comics magazine in 2011. Over 850,000 copies have been sold in the 10 years that the series has been running in this monthly magazine. It has also been adapted into an animation series and the new season, the fourth in the series, began airing in Japan in October 2022. Other recent titles from this artist include "Camera, Hajimete mo Ii Desu ka?, currently running in Young King Awards magazine.

Tadashi Machida

Takaaki Fujii

CEO • Zoshinkai Holdings Inc. (Z-kai Inc.)

Takaaki Fujii has been the President and CEO of the general education group "Z-kai Group", which is celebrating it's 91st anniversary this year. The "Z-kai Group" consists of 20 companies that develop various educational services such as correspondence education, classrooms, books, mock exams, assessments, and services using ICT for a wide range of age groups, from infants to college students and adults.

Takaomi

VR Contents Director

Takaomi is the head of VRChat Explorer Club, a community for exploring the various virtual spaces—or worlds—that exist in VRChat and for exchanging opinions on the design of virtual spaces and experiences. He publishes interviews with virtual world creators on the blogging platform note and writes introductory articles about virtual worlds for Japan’s biggest VR media. In doing so, Takaomi actively communicates the charm of creative virtual worlds in VRChat.

Takashi Itagaki

President/Art Director • Shakai No Kusuri Research Institute/Rumbini Art Museum

After studying the cognitive function of the brain and switching to copperplate engraving, Itagaki joined Runbini-en, a disabled support facility, in 1998. He is fascinated by the formative arts of the people who live there and since then has continued to work on supporting their formative expressions at various welfare facilities. Since 2007, he has been an art director at the Runbinii Art Museum. In 2020, he established the Shakai no Kusuri Research Institute of which he is the CEO. He is a director of Connected Ink Village. His favorite musicians are THE ELEPHANT KASHIMASHI, Gustav Mahler, Dimitri Shostakovich and Hiroko Taniyama.

Takashi Nakatsuji

Senior Director

Takashi Nakatsuji has worked at Wacom’s Business Solutions Unit for over 20 years, providing Wacom’s core technologies to meet the needs of various business applications and delivering new experiences and values to clients and users. The current focus of his activities is to tap into new demand in the public and healthcare sectors, and to increase added value to all business applications by creating and providing access to new software.

Takaya Matsuda

CEO • Heralbony

With a twin brother, established HERALBONY with the mysterious word "HERALBONY", which his four-year-old autistic brother Shota had written down when still in elementary school. Updated the welfare field through its experimental welfare unit. Awarded "Forbes 30 Under 30 Japan" for 30 people under the age of 30 who are changing Japan.

Takuya Yamasaki

HR, Public Relations • 株式会社ダンデライオンアニメーションスタジオ

After entering the industry in 1997, Takuya Yamasaki took part in many projects as a BG modeler, CG animator, 3DCG compositor, and concept artist. He worked as the leader of the Look & Composite Unit at Dandelion Animation Studio until 2018. Since becoming a freelancer, he has provided HR and public relations services for the same company, while also providing support to studio staff, mainly through various training opportunities, such as his tutoring in concept art.

Tamotsu Ito

Architect, CEO of tamotsu ito architecture office

Born in Gifu Prefecture. Architect and principal of the "tamotsu ito architecture office", junior associate professor at Nagoya Zokei University and Director of General of Chimata Factory, Inc. Assn. After studying and teaching in the US and Switzerland, he moved to Gifu City, Japan in 2020 and runs a design practice based in Gifu operating throughout Japan and overseas.

Tatsunori Kato

Senior Manager • ワコム

After joining Wacom in 2017, Tatsunori Kato has been in charge of developing background software pre-installed on tablets as well as product planning. He is constantly seeking methods and systems that best support creative activities based on the wealth of knowledge he gained from his previous roles in developing entertainment robotics and OS for embedded equipment.

Team IMPALA

Performer

Founded in 2020. Performance unit consisting of Masashi Onishi, Maki Yokoyama, Rieko Ogino and Tsuyoshi Kaseda. Their performance encompasses a wide range of genres like contemporary dance, street dance ad traditional martial arts. IMPALA’s stage using LED and projectors represents its own universe where the barrier between humans and technology melts away.

Terukazu Ikeda

Tetsuro Kato

Engineer • 株式会社Preferred Networks Inc.

After obtaining a Master’s degree at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kato joined teamLab, where he worked on the development of interactive content using image recognition and machine learning. His current work at Preferred Networks encompasses the development of tools for learning programming, such as Playgram and Playgram Typing.

Tomoko Matsuoka

Social Network Artist

Tomoko Matsuoka works as a creative artist, taking part in various collaborations addressing the concept of the “Embodiment of Will.” When she paints live, she uses her entire body to express her energy and her “will” in the moment. She uses her art to continually challenge the realm that cannot be reached by science. Her work was exhibited at the Salon Art Shopping Paris, an art fair at the Louvre Museum in Paris, in 2021. She was featured in the TV shows “Seven Rules” and “Mezamashi 8” from the Fuji Television Group. She graduated from the Faculty of Science of the Japan Women’s University and obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Tokyo.

Yasushi Naruse

Senior Researcher

As a Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Dr. Naruse has been engaged in neuroscientific research using brainwaves for many years. His focus is on the development of a novel, wearable EEG system that facilitates the measurement of brain activity in a natural environment, as well as applications that implement this system.

Yoko Shimizu

Artist/Researcher • Ars Electronica Futurelab

Yoko Shimizu is a researcher and artist at Ars Electronica Futurelab with a background in biology and chemistry. She is in charge of R&D and project management of various creative projects. She began her career as a creative director and collaborates with companies, government agencies, museums, and universities around the world to develop innovative technologies and installations.

Yoshifumi Tara

Aesthetic Scientist, Artist, Designer, Education Research Assistant in the Department of Design, Tokyo University of the Arts

In his research, Yoshifumi Tara explores exciting experiences that spark curiosity. With his unique view as an artist/designer, he creates products and works of art using a scientific approach and new materials as well as special techniques. He aims to rediscover the charm of everyday life with ideas that offer new perspectives. He won the Silver Prize and the Shibuya Area Management Prize at the 20th CS Design Awards (Category: Students) in 2019. His activities and works include his award-winning design of a temporary enclosure for a construction site installed in Shibuya in 2020, participation in Rokko Meets Art 2020, and an exhibition at the Mt. Rokko Visitor Center in 2022. He was also awarded the Yugo Nakamura Prize in the 15th SHACHIHATA New Product Design Competition.

Yuhei Uchibori

President and CEO • JIBUN HAUS.株式会社

Born in December 1984 in Higashiyamato City, Tokyo, Yuhei Uchibori joined JIBUN HAUS as a Director in 2016, having previously worked at a general real-estate developer. He assumed his current post in May 2020. With the belief that “the time has come to buy a house via smartphone,” the company runs a voluntary chain of over 140 stores in the housing industry. The housing-tech company has rolled out a series of businesses driven by the latest technologies. These include VR production for condominium developers, AR/AI services in an industry-academia partnership with Tokyo University, and MY HOME MARKET, a virtual house exhibition operated in cooperation with BIROGY. Its networks are expanding among builders, building contractors, construction companies, and real estate agencies all over Japan.

Yui Arai

チェロ奏者

福井県出身。中学卒業後渡米、Idyllwild Arts Academy（米カリフォルニア）を経て、ドイツ国立ハンブルグ音楽大学を修了。これまでに岩城宏之音楽賞受賞、ブラームス国際コンクールチェロ部門第２位入賞、平成24年度福井県文化奨励賞受賞。その他国内外の様々な音楽祭に出演。現在は、ソロ、室内楽を中心に活動中。これまでに、故・参納純三、ジョン・ワルツ、ヴォルフガング・メールホルンに師事。東京チェロアンサンブルメンバー。福井大学教育学部音楽科非常勤講師。

Yuri Tanaka

Researcher, Artist • Kyoto City University of Arts, CERN

Currently, a visiting researcher at Kyoto City University of Arts, a visiting scientist at CERN, an expert at ITACCUS (International Astronautical Federation Technical Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space), and a member of the Liaison Unit for Science & Art of Kyoto, Kyoto University. She has been pursuing to create a diverse collaboration mediated by ‘the universe’ as a mutually acceptable idea among different experts. Her projects can be mostly found in public spaces or at art/science festivals.

Kazunori Oki

Calm technology is Kaz Oki’s mantra. As co-founder and CEO of mui Lab, Kaz designs innovative engineering solutions in accordance with the Taoist philosophy “mui shizen,” which means living according to nature. The company’s goal is to create harmony between technology, the humans who use it, and the nature that surrounds them.