Digital Hearts Cross Tokyo Announces the Hosting of “Guide to Success for Game Titles in Japan: From Brand Strategy to Cultural Adaptation”
Digital Hearts Cross Tokyo Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Sherry Zhang; hereinafter “Digital Hearts Cross Tokyo”), a group company of Digital Hearts Holdings Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toshiya Tsukushi; TSE Prime: Securities Code 3676), is pleased to announce that it will hold its latest seminar, “Guide to Success for Game Titles in Japan: From Brand Strategy to Cultural Adaptation,” on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. The seminar is aimed at overseas game companies seeking to enter the Japanese market.
At this seminar, we will present the latest trends in the Japanese game market and effective market entry strategies, illustrated with concrete examples of localization and marketing promotion. Participants will have the rare opportunity to hear directly from key figures who support Japan’s game industry, including Mr. Kazuhisa Okada, Editor-in-Chief of the comprehensive game information site “4Gamer.net” and President & CEO of Aetas Inc.; Mr. Ryuhei Ishikawa, Head of the Entertainment Division at Fennel Inc., which operates the professional e-sports team FENNEL; Mr. Bi Wu, Head of APAC Ad Business at SmartNews, Inc. and CEO of SmartNews Singapore Pte. Ltd.; and Mr. Yasuomi Fujitomo from the Consulting Team 3, Second Business Consulting Division, LY Corporation. Those wishing to participate are invited to register via the link below.
■Seminar Overview
Seminar for Overseas Companies: Strategies for Entering the Japanese Game Market
“Guide to Success for Game Titles in Japan: From Brand Strategy to Cultural Adaptation”
(Simultaneous interpretation in Chinese and Korean will be provided.)
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 10:00–12:15 (Doors open at 9:30)
Organizer: Digital Hearts Cross Tokyo Co., Ltd.
Target Audience: Representatives of overseas game publishers and game development companies
Venue: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Venue details will be provided by email to confirmed participants)
Format: In-person only (No online streaming or recorded distribution will be offered)
Agenda
10:00–10:05 Opening Remarks
10:05–11:25 “Guide to Success for Game Titles in Japan: From Brand Strategy to Cultural Adaptation”
Scheduled Speakers: Aetas Inc. (operator of 4Gamer.net), Fennel Inc., SmartNews Inc., and LY Corporation
(Listed in Japanese alphabetical order; the order of presentations on the day may differ.)
11:25–11:40 Coffee Break
11:40–12:10 Panel Discussion: “Capturing the Hearts of Japanese Gamers: Enhancing Game Value Through Localization and Meticulous Operations”
12:10–12:15 Closing Remarks
Participation Fee: Free (Advance registration required)
Please bring one business card to present at the reception on the day of the event.
How to Register: Please register using the form below.
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/cWZg7F5zSC
Participation in this seminar is free and on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will close once capacity is reached, so we encourage early application. Confirmed participants will receive an email from the Secretariat within three business days of registration.
Please note that we do not accept applications from companies in the same industry.
■Guest Speaker
Aetas Inc.
Kazuhisa Okada
President & CEO, Aetas Inc. / Editor-in-Chief of the comprehensive game information site “4Gamer.net”
After graduating from university, Mr. Okada joined SoftBank, then a venture company with fewer than 300 employees. In August 2000, he launched “4Gamer.net” as a personal website with just two people. What began as a small-scale project grew into a company, and he is now engaged in leading Aetas Inc. and the “4Gamer.net” platform.
Fennel Inc.
Ryuhei Ishikawa
Head of the Entertainment Division
Drawing on his experience as a former professional gamer, Mr. Ishikawa implements marketing deeply rooted in gaming communities. He has been involved with FENNEL since its founding and has organized approximately 600 online tournaments to date. In recent years, he has been developing multifaceted initiatives in game marketing.
SmartNews Inc.
Bi Wu
Head of APAC Ad Business / CEO, SmartNews Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Ten years ago, Mr. Bi Wu resolved to “support the entry of Chinese products into the Japanese market.” He founded a specialized advertising agency and has supported more than 100 companies in entering Japan, while also achieving rapid business growth as the Japan lead for Bigolive and Lemon8. Since last year, he has been responsible for APAC advertising operations at SmartNews Inc., leveraging SmartNews Ads’ Marketing Solutions to continue helping more products succeed in Japan.
LY Corporation
Yasuomi Fujitomo
Consulting Team 3, Second Business Consulting Division
Since 2012, Mr. Fujitomo has been consistently engaged in app promotion. After serving as Head of the App Marketing Department at a web advertising agency, he joined LINE Corporation. He is currently a member of the App Task Force at LY Corporation, working to ensure that app businesses can make effective use of LINE Yahoo’s solutions.
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