[MANGA General Research Institute, General Incorporated Association] Keynote speeches at the borderless Manga IP conference “IMART2025” have been decided to be given by Masatoshi Tsunoda, Director of Rights at Kodansha, and Gentaro Iwasa, President and CEO of Good Smile Company!
MANGA General Research Institute, General Incorporated Association Press Release: September 12, 2025 The keynote speeches at the borderless Manga IP conference “IMART2025” have been decided to be given by Kodansha Rights Director Masatoshi Tsunoda and Good Smile Company President and CEO Gentaro Iwasa! ~Applications for both online and offline participation now open on Peatix~
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-970fefc7d61388c650868464562df53a-1672×936.png
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-2b6012b70030b4bb87ea81b6bb56d4db-594×594.png Masatoshi Tsunoda, Director of Rights, Kodansha Joined Kodansha in 1988. Since then, he has been involved in the sales of publications (especially comics), overseas publishing, film, and MD licensing. Since 2021, he has been in charge of the sales department as a director. Since 2024, he has been in charge of the rights department, a position he holds to this day.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-874338d60510a18311bfde136d77d5bf-342×342.png Gentaro Iwasa, President and CEO, Good Smile Company Born in Tokyo in 1979. Graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University. After unique experiences at TonenGeneral Sekiyu (now ENEOS) and McKinsey & Company, he joined Good Smile Company in 2012. He has served as an executive officer, director, and COO, and assumed his current position in January 2024. He also serves as a director of affiliated companies such as Max Factory, Milestone, and Tasky, promoting the Group’s business expansion and corporate value improvement. Corporate website: https://corporate.goodsmile.com/ja/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-0725eb3524b9115e383d5f019ac77c4c-1999×1969.png Yohei Ito, Kodansha Rights & Media Business Division He is in charge of domestic and international rights and merchandising, and has been involved in the development of anime titles such as “Attack on Titan,” “FAIRY TAIL,” “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime,” and “Blue Lock.” Through corporate tie-ups and IP collaborations, we are working to expand the fan base of our works and promote our global strategy.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-e476e51dfff60d9d615f7c19da858614-271×271.png Hisashi Yoshida, Nippon Broadcasting System Announcer Born in Tokyo in 1975. Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Keio University. Announcer for Nippon Broadcasting System. In addition to being a radio personality, he is also active as a host for television programs and events. He is currently studying at the Graduate School of
Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo. Well-versed in manga, anime, idols, and digital media, she continues to work beyond the role of announcer, including founding the Manga Taisho Awards. In 2012, she won the 49th Galaxy Award DJ Personality Award. Her books include “Why does talking to this person make you feel better?” (Ohta Publishing) and “A textbook on speaking and listening for people who find conversation difficult, designed by a former announcer with communication problems” (Ascom).
https://x.com/yoshidahisanori
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-feae67bc654e98a405b6c185d88fc24b-1226×1226.png Atsuo Nakayama, CEO of Re entertainment/Entertainment Sociologist Born in 1980. Graduated from the University of Tokyo Graduate School (majoring in sociology) and completed an MBA at McGill University in Canada. Expanding content overseas is his life’s work. In 2021, he founded Re entertainment, a consulting company for entertainment companies. His major works include “Creator Wonderland: The
Entertainment Revolution in Wonderland and the Dynamic Identity of Generation Z” (2024) and “The Future of Entertainment Changed by the Oshi Economy ‘Virtual Prime Location'” (2021).
https://x.com/atsuonakayama
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-4a45af700bacad4c71816b206bdc38ef-366×366.png Kikuchi Ken, Director (Representative Director), MANGA General Research Institute He has served as the Tokiwa-so Project Director since 2010, the Kyoto International Manga and Anime Fair launch office in 2012, and the launch of the “Mannavi” website in 2017. He has been involved in the planning and management of numerous manga-related projects. He established the MANGA General Research Institute, a general incorporated association, in March 2024 as the operating entity for IMART, which was launched in 2019, and became its director (representative director). While working to turn IMART into a global manga and anime conference, he also aims to establish a longitudinal survey of the manga and anime IP market. https://note.com/lovebeer73 In addition to the above, approximately 25 sessions are planned, including pre-recorded ones, such as “Suspension of Payments for Adult Content – Issues of Financial Censorship.” Details of each session will be announced in due course on the IMART2025 Official X
(https://x.com/ImartFes). We are also pleased to announce that applications for both online and offline participation are now open on Peatix. Participation application URL: https://imart2026.peatix.com [IMART2025 event overview]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-5e08b4c81d089d3aba3aa4eb7262af8a-1950×613.jpg IMART is an international conference bringing together industry professionals from Japan and abroad to promote the development of the “manga IP” content industry through knowledge sharing and personnel exchange. The event focuses not only on manga itself, but also on its expansion into various forms of entertainment, including anime. Date and Time: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 Event Content: Keynote speeches, sessions, etc. Venue: Animate Theater (Animate Ikebukuro Main Store B2F) How to participate: In-person viewing and online streaming (approximately 25 sessions planned) Application URL: https://imart2025.peatix.com Organizer: MANGA General Research Institute, General Incorporated Association [About the MANGA General Research Institute]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/145029/9/145029-9-02730a6ffd02558d2fcf10cfcbc0d672-1350×1350.jpg We research and analyze Japanese pop culture, including manga and anime, from an IP perspective. We accurately grasp domestic and international phenomena and contribute to the development of culture and business. In addition to planning and running the borderless manga and IP conference “IMART,” we also conduct cross-industry market research and proposal activities. Representative: Representative Director Ken Kikuchi Address: Miraku Department Store 1F, 3-4-10 Minami-Nagasaki, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Web: https://www.manga-ri.tokyo/
