Expert Community Across
Pop Culture

Purpose

To revitalize and internationalize the pop culture field as a whole.

By connecting genres such as manga, anime, games, and music across boundaries, POP POWER PROJECT aims to promote the development of related industries and culture through integration with technology, the cultivation of overseas markets, and collaboration with other industries.

Members

  1. Individual experts
    Creators, producers, researchers, representatives of industry associations, government officials, and other experts involved in pop culture.
  2. Corporate members
    Companies and organizations that support and sponsor the project’s activities.

Operation

  1. The secretariat is jointly operated by iU and the CiP Council.
  2.  Activities are promoted through a Steering Committee composed of the secretariat and corporate members.

Other Information

  1. Special Cooperation: Digital Policy Foundation
  2. Activity Period: April 2025 – March 2027, two years

Proposed Activities

1. Talent Development

  • Develop entertainment executive training courses in collaboration with leading MBA programs in the United States and Europe.
  • Support internships and employment in the pop culture industries.
  • Build connections with university and high school clubs and extracurricular groups.

2. Events

  • Host symposia and networking events.
  • Participate jointly in overseas events such as Anime Expo in the United States, Japan Expo in France, and NipPop in Italy.
  • Participate jointly in events such as Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair , IVS, Chomorrow, and metaverse spaces.

3. Research and Studies

  • Policy proposals: provide input to the government and business organizations.
  • Take action based on policy proposals.
  • Hold research symposiums, including an expanded version of the CiP Council’s “AI × Content Study Group.”

4. Awards

  • Establish a new award.

Members
（As of April 2026）

Creators and Producers

  • Machiko Satonaka — Manga Artist
  • Oji Hiroi — Character Creator / Director
  • Hiroyuki Itoh — CEO, Crypton Future Media, Inc.
  • Toshio Tsuchiya — Representative, Gontents LLC
  • Junya Komatsu — President and CEO, Steelhead
  • Youn In-wan — CEO, YLAB
  • Gugi Akiyama — Creative Director / Art Director
  • Hiromi Yamaguchi — Representative, YYARTS
  • Tetsuji Shibayama — President and CEO, AG Holdings; President and CEO, Zezeyaki Kiln Kageroen
  • Yohei Sadoshima — President and CEO, Cork, Inc.
  • Yusuke Nakagawa — President and CEO, ASOBISYSTEM Co., Ltd.
  • Motohiko Tokuriki — note Producer / Blogger
  • Kensaku Fukui — Attorney
  • Hirotaka Yoshida — Chairman, Toranoana Inc.
  • Megumi Onouchi — President and CEO, HumanMedia Inc.
  • Yoshiaki Sawabe — President and CEO, 1-10, Inc.
  • Kiyoshi Shin — President and CEO, AI Frog Interactive; Professor, Digital Hollywood University Graduate School
  • Naoko Tosa — Artist; Specially Appointed Professor, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University
  • Naoko Yamano — Musician, Shonen Knife
  • Kenji Matsubara — President and CEO, Longfellow Inc.
  • Shuichi Miyawaki — Advisor, Kaiyodo; Chair, Wonder Festival Executive Committee
  • Satoshi Endo — Visiting Professor, ZEN University; Research Partner, Kadokawa ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc.
  • Takeya Ino — President and CEO, Avex Music Creative Inc.
  • Keiko Ichiguchi — Manga Artist; Japanese–Italian Translator; Writer
  • Mantaro Kawaguchi — Representative Director, Japan Wotagei Association
  • Keiichiro Toyama — President and CEO / Game Creator, Bokeh Game Studio Inc.
  • Koki Fukasawa — President and CEO, Infinia Co., Ltd.
  • hitomi — Legendary Maid, @home cafe
  • Sadaaki Kaneyoshi — Executive Officer, MIXI, Inc.
  • Ryuji Shimonishi — Representative Director and Producer, OTAGROUP Inc.
  • Hiroshi Nakata — Managing Director, GEV
  • Tan Yamanouchi — Architect; CEO, Tan Yamanouchi & AWGL
  • sola — President, MUSOOO Inc.
  • Ami Otsuka — Representative, Hundreds LLC
  • Keito Noguchi — CEO, Brave group Inc.
  • Yosuke Takeda — Producer, Azuki
  • Shu Endo — CEO, LAF Entertainment Inc.
  • martina. — 3DCG / Video Creator
  • Yumiko Igarashi — Manga Artist
  • Shujiro Kusumoto — Founder and Chief Advisor, Cafe Company Inc.
  • Shinya Nakajima — TV Commercial Director
  • Daisaku Kawase — President and CEO, Days Inc.
  • Jason Wong — CEO, mov Inc.
  • Daisuke Urushihara — President and CEO, Radius5 Inc.
  • Keizo Yoshida — Managing Director, Deloitte Tohmatsu LLC

Industry Associations

  • Keiko Erikawa — Chair, Association of Media in Digital
  • Fumiyuki Kanai — Managing Director, Federation of Music Producers Japan
  • Masahiko Mizuguchi — Managing Director, Japan Association of Music Enterprises
  • Nobuhiro Nagai — Managing Director, All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference
  • Ayumu Terada — Secretary General, Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association
  • Shinji Kondo — Secretary General, Association of Japanese Animations
  • Hirokazu Hamamura — Director, Japan eSports Union
  • Sane Ichii — Managing Director and Secretary General, Visual Industry Promotion Organization
  • Kazuo Rikukawa — Managing Director, Character Brand Licensing Association
  • Arihiro Iwamura — Managing Director, Keidanren / Japan Business Federation
  • Hiroshi Osaki — Chair, Japan Association of Visual Industry Production
  • Yasuo Kameyama — Secretary General, World Otaku Institute
  • Kazutaka Sato — Representative, International Otaku Expo Association

Government and Related Organizations

  • Naomi Saido — Planning Officer, Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters Secretariat, Cabinet Office
  • Norihiko Saeki — Former Director, Culture and Creative Industries Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
  • Keiko Momii — Director, Copyright Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs
  • Koki Yoshida — Director, Information and Communications Works Promotion Division, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
  • Akimasa Yamashita — Counselor, Kyoto Prefecture; Director, Art & Technology Village Kyoto
  • Ichita Yamamoto — Governor of Gunma Prefecture

 

Researchers

  • Atsuo Nakayama — Entertainment Sociologist
  • Masahiko Inami — Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
  • Takashi Uchiyama — Professor, School of Cultural and Creative Studies, Aoyama Gakuin University
  • Jun Kato — Media Interaction Group, Human Information Interaction Research Department, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
  • Kazuma Yoshimura — President, Kyoto Seika University; Professor, Faculty of Manga
  • Mariko Koizumi — Professor, Faculty of Manga, Kyoto Seika University; Director, International Manga Research Center
  • Yoshitaka Mouri — Professor, Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
  • Kiri — Professor, Faculty of Fine Arts, Joshibi University of Art and Design
  • Koichi Hosoi — Director, Center for Archive Research in Content Industry History, ZEN University
  • Nobuko Kawashima — Professor, Faculty of Economics, Doshisha University
  • Sun-Hye Hwang — Professor, Graduate School of Business Design, Josai International University
  • Masako Furuichi — Associate Professor, School of Foreign Languages, Peking University
  • Kouta Minamizawa — Professor, Graduate School of Media Design, Keio University
  • Nanako Ishido — Director, B Lab
  • Hitoshi Nakamura — Professor, Faculty of Tourism and Community Studies, Atomi University
  • Paola Scrolavezza — Full Professor, Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
  • Ian Condry — Professor of Japanese Culture and Media Studies, MIT
  • Yuji Okajima — Director, Institute of Policy and Cultural Studies, Chuo University
  • Kazuhiko Hachiya — Professor, Game and Interactive Art, Tokyo University of the Arts
  • Masashi Sugiyama — Director, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project
  • Nozomi Nishinaga — Director, Universal Communication Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
  • Ryotaro Mihara — Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University
  • Takeshi Yoshimura — Full-time Professor, Digital Hollywood University Graduate School
  • Kentaro Modeki — Associate Professor, Digital Hollywood University; Digital Picture-Book Creator
  • Ng Wai-ming — Professor, Department of Japanese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Ryohei Nakatsu — Professor / Researcher, Kyoto University
  • Hanna Kang — President and CEO, Beauty Thinker; International Sociocultural Scholar
  • Ichiya Nakamura — President, iU; Chair, CiP Council

Corporate Sponsors
（As of April 2026）

  • Artist Commons
  • Albero Grande Inc.
  • East Investment Capital GP Co., Ltd.
  • Federation of Music Producers Japan
  • Keio University Graduate School of Media Design
  • School Corporation Denshi Gakuen
  • Valledge Inc.
  • MetCom Inc.
  • One Other Company
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