Founder, BrainPunch
I grew up in Tokyo speaking English and Japanese and attended The American School in Japan and International Christian University. I started my career at NTT Docomo in the early days of mobile internet.
In 2007 I joined Cirius Technologies and led its US business until the sale to Yahoo! JAPAN in 2010, then joined the Stanford Project on Japanese Entrepreneurship (STAJE). From 2012 I led North America for Metaps and helped take it public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. At Metaps I also helped leading US game developers launch in Japan and Korea, from user acquisition campaigns to live events. In 2015 I joined Chatwork as VP of Growth. Along the way I also worked on Sansan's US expansion, open innovation with Toyota Boshoku's R&D team, NEDO research and founder mentoring at JETRO.
I founded BrainPunch in 2012 and keep it to a small number of clients I work with directly. Since May 2021 I have also led global business development and partnerships at double jump.tokyo, where I am now Executive Officer and take an active part in fundraising, pitching and investor relations. That keeps my network and deal experience current.
What drives me hasn't changed. I like meeting people who build things, understanding what makes their work special, and helping it succeed beyond its home market.
EXPERIENCE
Companies and institutions I've worked with or for.
ABOUT THIS SITE
The bridge on the home page is the Golden Gate, near where I live in Northern California. It stands for three things I care about. Silicon Valley and Japan. Emerging technology and everyday life. Ideas and the people who bring them forward.
I built this site with AI assistants, bridge animation included, quickly and in two languages. I decided what it should say and how it should feel, and reviewed every page. I work the same way with clients. I make the judgment calls, and AI does the heavy lifting where it helps.
CONTACT
Tell me what you're trying to do in Japan and where things stand. A 30-minute call is usually enough to see whether I can help.