# Top 45 Community Angel Investors in Japan in October 2023

## Yusuke Sato
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 6
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Internet, Content, Food and Beverage

Yusuke Sato is the Co-Representative and Co-Founder at Pulit.

## Hirofumi Miki
- Type: Angel
- Location: Shibuya, Kanagawa, Japan
- Relevant deals: 6
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Content, Marketing, Internet

After JTB Co., Ltd. and CYBIRD Co., Ltd. as an initial member of Glee Co., Ltd. is responsible for business development. Currently, he is mainly engaged in venture support in the Internet area, investing in venture and venture capital, and served as management advisor for dozens of companies. Hands-on business development, growth strategydevelopment, financing advice, HR organization design support, partner referral and Recruit Support. He is also engaged in business support for ventures in the healthcare and university venture fields. He served as Digital Health Meetup Advisor, NEDOTCP Mentor and Future 2016 Mentor.

## Shuuichi Wada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Reservations, Content, Social Media

Shuuichi Wada - CTO @ alu Japan

## Kensuke Furukawa
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Media and Entertainment, Software

Kensuke Furukawa was born in June 2, 1981. He graduated Waseda University majoring Political Science and Economics, and in 2000, he launched "Milkcafe", a student community, which has grown to a site with 10 million PV per month. In 2004, he became the CEO of Media Clip, which operates a rental bulletin board service "ShitarabaBBS". After that year, he had transfer "Shitaraba BBS" to Livedoor, and took charge of starting up the Consumer Generated Media sector. In 2006, he joined Recruit, and took charge of starting up a new business at Business development sector. In June of 2009, he left Recruit, and became the CEO of nanapi （formerly Rocket Start), which operates the How-to Site "nanapi".

## Hideto Fujino
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Reservations, Travel, Real Estate

Hideto Fujino - President, Cheif Investment Officer @ Rheos

## Kotaro Chiba
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Drones, Software

Kotaro Chiba is the founder of ChibaDojo Fund. Kotaro Chiba attended Keio University.

## Kiyohiro Sugashita
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Marketing, Travel, Media and Entertainment

Mr. Sugashita joined Polaris as Advisor in May 2011. He is Director and CEO of Sugashita Partners, Ltd since 1998 and provides consulting services to financial institutions and ventures in and outside of Japan. Prior to that position, he was CEO of Lazard Japan Asset Management from 1991 to 1998. His business career also includes positions at DaiwaSecurities and Merrill Lynch Securities, Tokyo Branch. On the academic front, Mr. Sugashita received a BA in Economics from Ritsumeikan University and since 2009 is Special Advisor for the Dean of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.

## Ken Takayama
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Reservations, Travel, Apps

Ken Takayama - External Audit & Supervisory @ Media Do

## Ayataro Nakagawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Internet, Software, Information Technology

2011 At university, participated in the founding period as a director of Atcole Co., Ltd., and started the web service experience.2012 Founded Peroli Co., Ltd.,
which operates a curation platform for women "MERY" .2014 Founded Peroli
Co., Ltd. Sold to DeNA
2015 Jointly established Tokyo Founders Fund as an angel investor and startedinvesting in startups in Japan and overseas
2019 Appointed outside director of FIREBUG Co., Ltd.

## Jun Nishikawa
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Angel
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Mobile, Content

Jun Nishikawa - Co-founder, Executive Vice President, COO @ eureka, Inc.

## Paul Kuo
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Reservations, Travel, SaaS

Paul Kuo - Director - Board of Directors @ Tamecco

## Hikaru Kashida
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Consulting, E-Learning, Communities

Hikaru Kashida is a data scientist and is currently working at Mercari Inc., Japan.

## Daisaku Harada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Finance, Tourism, Automotive

Daisaku Harada is the Director of Management Strategy at Mercari. Daisaku attended Chuo University.

## Yukihiro Yoshida
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Travel, Reservations, SNS

Yukihiro Yoshida is managing director at POL.

## Hidetoshi Takano
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Internet, Information Technology, Media and Entertainment

Joined Intelligence in 1999. Established Key Players Inc. in 2005. Consultation with more than 3,000 managers and career counseling for more than 10,000 individuals. In addition, we have invested in more than 55 outside directors, advisors and angels in Silicon Valley and Bangladesh in Japan. Over 100 lectures on careers, entrepreneurship andstartups.

## Ryosuke Matsumoto
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Art, Reservations, Software

Ryosuke Matsumoto is the founder and CEO of Community Factory Inc.Ryosuke is born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1981. He joined launching of the publication venture company, and ran a cafe while he was attending Chuo University in Tokyo. Since he joined launching the social media venture company in 2004, he has been in social media business. In2006, Ryosuke founded Community Factory Inc. which specialized in planning and operating social media and blog services.Community Factory started to specialize in social application for mobile from 2009, and Community Factory draw investments of around 4.5 million US dollars from venture capitals and mixi inc. then the biggest social media in Japan. DECOPIC, Community Factory's one of the apps for smartphone, has been downloaded 6 million times in the 6 months since its release, and it is rapidly gaining users mainly in Asian countries.In Sep 2012, Ryosuke and other stock holders sold Community Factory to Yahoo Japan Corp., and he remains as CEO of Community Factory.

## Michimasa Naka
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Reservations, Travel, Employment

Michimasa Naka is a member of the Board Of Directors of istyle.inc. He is an experienced Chairperson with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry.

## Kazuma Ieiri
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Fashion, Recruiting

Born in 1978 and raised in Fukuoka prefecture, Kazuma founded paperboy&co. inc. (currently GMO Pepabo) and went on to become the youngest CEO ever (at the time) to take a company public in Japan by taking paperboy&co. public on the JASDAQ Japanese stock exchange. After leaving paperboy&co, he continued his startup trail by foundingBASE, CAMPFIRE, and XIMERA. Kazuma also dabbled in the food services industry via the founding of On The Corner (a cafe) and is active in the startup investment scene. He also started the Liverty-house project which attempts to create shared housing for young people in need.

## Yuichi Tanaka
- Type: Angel
- Location: Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: E-Learning, Communities, Graphic Design

Yuichi Tanaka - CDO @ Visional

## Mitsushige Ito
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Content, Media and Entertainment, Pet

Mitsushige Ito - Chief Financial Officer (CFO) @ Mirrativ

## Shintaro Tabata
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Sharing Economy, Audio, Content

Shintaro Tabata - Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Sales @ Line

## Shinichiro Sugiyama
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Recruiting, Wedding, Home Decor

After HR in charge of the Tokyo Stock partially listed manufacturer, joined Pacific Management Co., Ltd. in 2001. After experience IPO on JASDAQ, TSE 2, and TSE partially listed, HR and management planningHe is responsible for management planning, equity finance, and IR, supporting the IPO of two Group companies to the TSE J-REIT market. JoinedEscrit Co., Ltd. in 2008, and oversees the listing of Mothers IPO and Tokyo Stock Exchange as CFO. Joined Bengo4.com Co., Ltd. in 2013 and launched several IPO and new businesses in Mothers in a year and a half as a director CFO. Representative Director of Burritudo Co., Ltd., 5 IPO Experience Companies. In July 2017, he was appointed Director of REXIT Co., Ltd. In November 2017, he became the Auditor of REXIT Co., Ltd.

## Yuki Naito
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series B
- Focus: Manufacturing, Internet, SNS

Yuki Naito - CEO,President @ Drecom

## Kosuke Minowa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Internet, Communities, Information Technology

Kosuke Minowa - Director @ EXODUS Japan

## Hiroshi Sawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Focus: Social, Big Data, Analytics

Joined Fujitsu Limited in 1991, after working at Osaka City University's Faculty of Science. He has a wide range of business experience, from programming to new business development, such as developing Internet services. After that, engaged in IT-related new business development at Sojitz Corporation, and at a major business investmentcompany, engaged in business investment in venture companies, creation of business plans for companies, launching new services, and M & A. In 2008, he became an outside director of eLicense Corporation. In 2009, he was appointed Representative Director of Data Section Co., Ltd. after developing a trend analysis service utilizing big data. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers on December 24, 2014. Outside director of Japan Data Exchange, Inc. Currently, he is an outside director of Solid Intelligence Co., Ltd. In June 2018, he became chairman.

## Kensuke Naito
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Pet, Apps, Insurance

Kensuke Naito - CIO (Chief Information Officer) @ SmartHR

## Yoshida Yukihiro
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Hospitality, Reservations, Media and Entertainment

Former executive director of Gulliver International (currently IDOM), one of the few hyper-growth companies in Japan that made public public public in four years and achieved 10 billion sales in 10 years. He held a role in charge of FC business, management strategy, marketing, human resources, education, IT and finance.

## Nobuhiro Ariyasu
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Content, Internet, Finance

Nobuhiro Ariyasu is the CEO at Coach United.

## Yusuke Mitsumoto
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series C
- Focus: Internet, Financial Services, Energy

Yusuke Mitsumoto is the founder of Cash.

## Takuya Imaizumi
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Corporate Round
- Focus: Gaming, eSports, Internet

Takuya Imaizumi - Co-Founder & CEO,President @ GameWith

## Yu Akasaka
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Food and Beverage, Content, Internet

During Hosei University student, and intern at Hakuhodo C & D. After joining the Image-net, I do media monetization of EC site as a media planner. Then, new business, engaged in Alliance. Launched a crowdsourcing site "MILLION DESIGNS" of design in the individual, sold to Ransazu Corporation. Established the Eureka Co., Ltd., wasappointed Representative Director CEO.

## Kento Hayashi
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Social, Big Data, Analytics

Kento Hayashi - President & CEO @ Datasection

## Takahiro Mitsuura
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series B
- Focus: Pet, Content, Recruiting

Takahiro Mitsuura - Director @ GO

## Arai Motoki
- Type: Angel
- Location: Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Wedding, Recruiting, Media and Entertainment

Arai is the CEO of Happy Elements KK (Japan Company). Arai-Sam manages the mobile business for the Japan market and the business development, product marketing, fans care in Japan.As a student, Motoki Arai worked as a programmer for tech startups such as Gaiax and KLab. He later was involved in the founding of Drecom, and became an executiveofficer just 4 months after joining the company.After being listed in the Mothers Index of the TSE, he started his own company, Cyworks, in Kyot

## Shuichi Takenaga
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Information Technology, Management Consulting, Marketing

Takenaga Shuuichi is an individual investor.

## Yamamoto Kento
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: E-Learning, Communities, Graphic Design

Yamamoto Kento - Directors CDO @ COUNTERWORKS

## Yasuyoshi Yanagisawa
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Post-IPO Equity
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Content, Men's

Yasuyoshi Yanagisawa - President & CEO @ FAN Communications

## William Lohse
- Type: Angel
- Location: Reno, Nevada, United States
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Software, Social Media, Advertising

William Lohse is a Founder Joyance Europe of Joyance Partners.

## Yoshinori Fukushima
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Marketing, Media and Entertainment

Completed the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. He developed the service of “Gunosy” while he was in graduate school. Established Gnosy in 2012 and appointed CEO. In 2013, he was appointed President and CEO. 2012 IPA Unexplored Super Creator. He also served as President of LayerX.

## Yusuke Asakura
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Finance, Internet, Consulting

Yusuke Asakura is an entrepreneur, a businessman, a venture investor, a scholar and the co-founder of Signifiant Inc. At Signifiant, Yusuke manages a ¥20 billion growth fund “THE FUND” aimed at growth-stage startups.

## Genki Shiota
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Internet, Gaming, Content

Genki Shiota was born in Izumo, Shimane prefecture in 1983.Shiota attended Yokohama National University and majored in electrical information engineering. He went on to complete his MBA at Hitotsubashi University.Shiota was hired by DeNA after graduation and was promoted to manager of an affiliated company. Afterwards, he worked as the directorof advertisement at corporate headquarters. Upon retirement, Shiota and Kouda co-founded Akatsuki.

## Naoki Aoyagi
- Type: Angel
- Location: San Francisco, California, United States
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Internet, Fashion, Software

Naoki Aoyagi is a Senior Vice President at GREE, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of GREE International, Inc. He joined GREE, Inc. in March 2006 from Deutsche Bank, where he had specialized in tech and media sector IPOs and M&A advisory work. At GREE, Aoyagi oversaw the Company's partnership with KDDI and its IPO before leading thedevelopment of GREE’s global operations, a role he continues today. Aoyagi earned a bachelor's degree in policy management from Keio University in 2002.

## Hajime Hotta
- Type: Angel
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Q&A, FinTech, Finance

Hajime is a serial entrepreneur and an early stage investor with a strong academic background in artificial intelligence (AI) and AI web applications. Received Ph.D with a study of neural networks.Hajime started coding when he was 12 years old and implemented his first AI code at 14 years old, which automatically correct simple grammaticalmistakes. He was the inventor and product lead of AI-backed Ad Tech at Cirius Tech, which was acquired by Yahoo Japan, and also a CTO at NakedTech, which was sold to Mixi Japan.

## Daisuke Kajiwara
- Type: Angel
- Location: Osaka, Osaka, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series B
- Focus: Social Media, Content, CRM

Daisuke Kajiwara - Director, CTO and Director of CHECK Company @ Every Japan

## Yasuyuki Kin
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Information Technology, Career Planning

Yasuyuki Kin

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