# Top 45 EdTech Angel Investors in Japan in May 2026

## 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.

## Robert Huang
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 3
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Education, E-Learning, Language Learning

Mr. Huang founded SYNNEX in 1980 and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Prior to this, Mr. Huang was the International Sales Manager at Advanced Micro Devices. Mr. Huang holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Kyushyu University, Japan, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester and an M.S. inManagement Science from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.

## Tatsuo Sakamoto
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Education, Task Management, Recruiting

Tatsuo Sakamoto

## Mamoru Taniya
- Type: Angel
- Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Apps, Content, FinTech

After graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo, he joined Solomon Brothers, where he became the youngest managing director in Asia, where he was in charge of Asian investment. After that, he created one of the largest independent Asuka assets. He also launched Japan's first independent online life insurance company,LifeNet Life Insurance, and inspired Japan's first International.

## 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.

## Narita Shuzo
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Task Management, Media and Entertainment, Content

Narita Shuzo is a Executive Vice President/COO, CrowdWorks Inc.

## Shintaro Yamada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Internet, Finance, Information Technology

During his years at Waseda University, Shintaro worked at Japan’s biggest e-commerce mall, Rakuten, Inc. On August 1st 2001, Shintaro established “Unoh Inc.” after graduating university. At Unoh he was responsible for designing and developing several web services, one of which was the online magazine subscription . Services provided by Unohinclude planning, development and management of the film enthusiast community site “Movie Life” (acquired by PIA Corporation) as well as “Sugu.CC” , “NeoAd” (both acquired by GMOAP) and the photo sharing site “Photozou” (acquired by Digital Garage).In 2009 Unoh entered into social gaming, creating multiple successful social games. Among these games, “Machitsuku!” has been its biggest hit with over 5 million users. On August 3rd 2010, Unoh joined Zynga and Shintaro became General Manager of Zynga Japan. He resigned on January 2012. After traveling around the world, He established the new company “Mercari, Inc.” on February 2013 and released the resale shopping app “Mercari” on July 2013 in Japan.He is a true Internet geek, spending a lot of time on the Internet and boasts around 180,000 followers on Twitter.

## Kiyoshi Ayabe
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 2
- Focus: Content, Education, E-Learning

Kiyoshi Ayabe is the President and Founder of KIYO Learning.

## Yusuke Ando
- Type: Angel
- Location: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Content, Education, Social Media

YUSUKE ANDO is a Outside Director at hachidori.

## Noguchi Keito
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Marketing, Financial Services

Noguchi Keito - Founder @ Vapes

## Daisuke Takanashi
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: SNS, Content, Finance

Daisuke Takanashi is an angel investor.

## Keisuke Honda
- Type: Angel
- Location: Chuo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Education, Blockchain, E-Learning

Keisuke Honda is the Founder & CEO of Now Do.

## Hideto Fujino
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Reservations, Travel, Real Estate

Hideto Fujino - President, Cheif Investment Officer @ Rheos

## Hikaru Kashida
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Consulting, E-Learning, Communities

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

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

Yuichi Tanaka - CDO @ Visional

## Naoki Yamada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Information Technology, Software, Sports

Naoki Yamada

## Etsuji Otsuka
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Apps, Software, Training

Etsuji Otsuka - Co-founder and CIO @ TRUIM Partners

## Kato Yorihiko
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Internet, Education, Agriculture

Kato Yorihiko is a Founder and Director at Bitbank.

## Hiroaki Kitano
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Debt Financing
- Focus: Health Care, Information Technology, Fitness

Hiroaki Kitano is the SVP at Softbank Mobile. He attended Waseda University.

## Kensuke Furukawa
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- 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".

## Masahiro Kotosaka
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel
- Focus: Education, EdTech, Fashion

Masahiro Kotosaka is an Associate Professor at Keio University and an Associate Fellow of The School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences. He is an expert in Internationalization strategy and early stage business development, and advisor to several global start-up companies. Before moving to Keio, he was an associate professor ofmultinational management at Ritsumeikan University, a teaching & research associate at the University of Oxford, and a consultant at McKinsey & Company based in Frankfurt and Tokyo. As a practitioner, he worked for strategy/marketing projects with sixteen client organizations across nine industries and nine countries and spent four years running three profitable IT/Retail businesses before joining McKinsey. He graduated from the University of Oxford with D.Phil. (Ph.D) in Management Studies and MSc in Management Research with Distinction.

## Yoshitsune Ido
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A
- Focus: Information Technology, Robotics, Software

Yoshitsune Ido

## Joshua Schachter
- Type: Angel
- Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Angel
- Focus: Software, Mobile, Internet

Joshua Schachter is an organizer at Self Racing Cars. He was the CEO of Tasty Labs and the founder of Joshua has also worked for directory, and was a co-creator of Memepool.

## Toru Shimada
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Task Management, Manufacturing, Content

Toru Shimada is a Senior Executive Officer and Director of Rakuten. Mr. Shimada is a Director of Rakuten Baseball, Inc., and Head of Asia Regional Headquarters Office of the Company.Mr. Shimada joined Rakuten in 2004. Prior to joining Rakuten, Mr. Shimada was founder and Director of INTELLIGENCE, LTD from 1989 to 2004. Prior to INTELLIGENCE, LTD.Mr. Shimada worked at RECRUIT CO., LTD. from 1987 to 1989.

## Dai Tamesue
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel, Seed, Pre-Seed
- Focus: Apps, Sports, Health Care

Dai Tamesue is the Chief Marketing Officer of Miekuru.

## Makoto Takano
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
- Focus: Content, Sports, Apps

Makoto Takano is CEO of atomixmedia, inc., publisher and editor-in-chief of Forbes Japan and Rolling Stone Japan since June, 2014. Prior to joining Atomixmedia, Inc., he was Managing Director and President of PIMCO Japan Ltd. Before joining PIMCO in 2001, he was head of marketing at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Makoto's prior experiencealso includes work at Daiwa Securities where he was head of the strategists team at Daiwa Institute of Research. He has published extensively on the capital markets. In 1992, he was awarded Securities Analysts Journal Prize by the Securities Analyst Association of Japan. He has also given lectures on asset management at Waseda University and Kyoto University. He holds master’s and undergraduate degrees in engineering from Waseda University. Makoto serves as Director of Nippon Finance Association and Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation.

## 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.

## Ryuji Terada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel, Seed
- Focus: Education, Consulting, Human Resources

Ryuji Terada

## Suzuki Yuto
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: SaaS, Content, Internet

Suzuki Yuto - Representative Director and CEO @ JapanWork

## Ayataro Nakagawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- 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.

## Taki Toshio
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Legal, Finance, Education

Taki Toshio is the Founder at Money Forward .

## Kitamura Yota
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed
- Focus: Education, E-Learning

Kitamura Yota

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

Yamamoto Kento - Directors CDO @ COUNTERWORKS

## Fumiaki Koizumi
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Internet, E-Commerce, Content

Fumiaki Koizumi - Executive Director @ Mercari

## Sumiya Einosuke
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Series A
- Focus: Media and Entertainment, Education, Logistics

Sumiya Einosuke

## Nishiki Takashi
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel
- Focus: Content, Education, Social Media

Nishiki Takashi - Outside Director @ aucfan Co.,Ltd.

## Gaku Nakamura
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Pre-Seed
- Focus: Sports, Education, Information Technology

Gaku Nakamura - Co-Founder and CEO @ RareJob

## Alex Zubillaga
- Type: Angel
- Location: New York, New York, United States
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Series B
- Focus: E-Commerce, Apps, Music

Alex Zubillaga is the founder of 14W, a New York-based, venture capital firm focused on consumer Mobile, Web, E-commerce, CPG, and Media.Previously, Alex was Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy and Business Development at Warner Music Group (WMG). Prior to WMG, Alex founded Net Uno, a leading Venezuelan cable television and broadbandoperator where he served as CEO and Chairman.

## Sagehashi Yuki
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel, Seed
- Focus: Content, FinTech, Finance

Sagehashi Yuki

## Junshin Kawasaki
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Angel
- Focus: Education, EdTech, Infrastructure

Junshin Kawasaki - Director @ LEVIAS

## Yusuke Sato
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel
- Focus: Internet, Content, Food and Beverage

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

## Naruhisa Nakagawa
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A
- Focus: Manufacturing, Beauty, Environmental Consulting

Naruhisa Nakagawa is a Founder & Chief Investment Officer at Caygan Capital.

## Shuuichi Wada
- Type: Angel
- Location: Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Angel, Series A
- Focus: Reservations, Content, Social Media

Shuuichi Wada - CTO @ alu Japan

## Masao Ito
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- Stages: Seed, Series A, Angel
- Focus: Content, Social Media, Information Technology

Masao Ito is a Founder & CEO at User Local.

## Ryosuke Matsumoto
- Type: Angel
- Relevant deals: 1
- 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.

# About Shizune
Shizune.co is an investor database. Core features:
- 48,091 startup investors (angels, VCs, accelerators, and others)
- Email, phone, LinkedIn (for intros), socials, and other contact data
- Updated daily from public funding news
- CSV and Excel export

The User can access the full database FOR FREE after signing up: shizune.co