When Kou Shibusawa first established KOEI to revive the family business, it was a dyes business which fell into financial difficulties two years after its establishment. He considered closing the company - but his wife Keiko gifted him a computer for his birthday, so he learned to program and devoted himself to game development. Soon after, he founded KOEI (now KOEI TECMO GAMES) as we know it today. Being interested in history, especially the Sengoku period, he released the game series Nobunaga's Ambition, which depicts the civil war of the Sengoku period in 16th century Japan and features Keiko’s graphic designs. After huge success from PC and Console gaming, they moved onto mobile which radically grew with titles like Nobunaga’s Ambition: Hadou launched in 2022. And their newest title Nobunaga's Ambition: Shutsujin has just been released, allowing players to conquer Japan using GPS and map technology, as if they were walking in the Sengoku period. Kou Shibusawa will continue to fascinate fans all over the world with his new work, which is constantly evolving.

"Office Create’s big hit Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook first entered the scene as a console game which immediately became popular overseas. The company’s CEO - experienced marketer Noriyasu - and his team wanted people to be able to play it from their phones too and eventually decided to release a mobile version of the game. In the game, players can cut, grill and simmer to prepare delicious dishes. It had the unexpected effect of inspiring interest in Japanese cuisine around the world, with people using the game’s recipes as a guide to cooking in their real-life kitchens. In the future, Noriyasu wants to ensure Cooking Mama stands the test of time, delights new generations and inspires more people to get cooking."

From a young age, Yoshitake was drawn to computers, but it wasn’t until he started working at an IT company that he really learned his way around a PC. Decades later, while reading his wife’s diary entries from her pregnancy, he realized how challenging it had been for her and how much he’d missed out. This inspired him to create 280days, where expectant couples can have a more enjoyable experience by tracking the pregnancy together. In the app, parents also have the option of turning their pregnancy diary into a book. In the future, Yoshitake hopes to add more features to support women during their postnatal period.

Atsuko dreamed of bringing something brand new to the world since she was in university. After qualifying as an accountant, she decided to use her newfound bookkeeping expertise as a basis to achieve this dream. She taught herself to program in one month and quickly launched Pavlov Bookkeeping – a training platform for people to prepare for their bookkeeping exams. Learners love the cute illustrations, which drawing hobbyist Atsuko also drew herself. She’s recently added an option to take mock exams online and is currently working on adding a personalized feature so people can track their learning progress.

Born in Hong Kong, raised in Canada and now based in Japan, npckc speaks three languages fluently and works as a translator. A self-taught programmer, they wanted to create games which depict stories and characters that are often left out of the limelight. In one night, hot springs, players follow the transgender female character, Haru, as she navigates a visit to the hot springs. Players appreciate the realistic portrayal of trans experiences, as well as the chilled out music, courtesy of npckc's partner sdhizumi. Having been a finalist of Google Play’s Indie Games Festival in Japan, they hope to attend more gaming conventions to connect with other developers in real life.

Tomohiro always had an interest in tech and distributing content via mobile devices. More than 20 years ago, he joined Weathernews to develop an app version of the service. It quickly became a crucial part of their business, especially after they started to engage with a community of users who submit real time weather data that helps provide an even more accurate service. Recently they launched a B2B service which can help company owners know when a meteorological hazard could affect their business. Tomohiro’s goal is to be the number one weather reporting service in the world.

Seeing the Apollo Moon landing as a kid gave Tatsuya a lifelong interest in science, motivating him to join his school’s astronomy club. Years later, as a qualified science teacher, he co-founded Dreams Come True with his friends to get new generations of youngsters as passionate about all things celestial as he was. This led to the creation of the 88 Constellation Encyclopedia, where budding astronomers can learn about stars, planets and the mythology surrounding them. He's worked with real-life astronauts, schools, museums and science centers to make the platform as fun and educational as possible. Next, Tatsuya wants to release more titles that can help get kids interested in science.