Message from the President

This Corporate Philosophy conveys a wish to, more than anything, surprise people. When you encounter an unimaginable idea or an experience that may overturn your values, you will be surprised and inspired. This also comes with smiles and tears. But only surprises can captivate your heart.

So we want to surprise the whole world, going beyond just making it laugh or happy. Simply aiming to make this happen, we have been engaging in creative activities.

Amuse can, I believe, be a catalyst and information disseminator in this world by creating surprises through entertainment. Keep helping people to realize something so that they look forward to seeing what comes next from us.  This is the way Amuse always wishes to go.

The fact that Amuse has continued its activities for nearly a half century seems like a miracle to me. Amuse has kept going without being swallowed by the waves of the entertainment industry, which is characterized by rapid and severe changes. This is undoubtedly thanks to the tireless efforts and pursuits by artists and employees. I am proud of having overcome many different difficulties with these people.

In recent years, however, a strong feeling of crisis is growing within me as I am beginning to think that our willingness to take on a challenge, our enthusiasm, our ability to take action and other aspects we consider as our strengths are losing the momentum they once had.  I am back in the role of President mainly because I want to take on new challenges at the forefront of entertainment once again and inspire the organization. Not everything we do from now on is guaranteed to be successful. But I will take the initiative to try new things with enthusiasm and an innovative approach. Also, Amuse's employees are expected to boldly keep trying.

When you are in a stable, comfortable environment, you tend to shy away from challenges. Wake up! That feeling of relief is just an illusion. I will turn this company into a strong group that continues to move forward, powered by challenges.

Having been involved in entertainment for many years, I am confident that one of the starting points for creative activities is always an awareness of the issues of the day. Issues here may refer to many different things, ranging from paradoxes in the world to anxieties and small realizations in everyday life. If you lack sensitivity, you cannot have that kind of awareness. Japan is a very safe and comfortable place. If you get too used to this comfortable environment, you may not be able to sense signs of change.  I also think that you may be surrounded by an ungrounded sense of relief and end up overlooking all issues. If you have a strong desire to send a message about a specific issue, you will come up with ideas and the ability to put them into action.  However, lacking an awareness of issues discourages the creative aspect of entertainment. I have been very concerned about this recently.

When you put the spotlight on issues, your expression may take many different forms, such as music, film, drama, eating and sightseeing. Your expression cannot captivate people's hearts without giving a clue to your thinking, as well as being fun and interesting. Capture issues in society and keep putting the spotlight on issues through entertainment. I think this is the mission of Amuse.

Amuse has, since its founding, used the term "Live-ism" to represent our pursuit of offering emotional experiences at real occasions. Going back to live-ism, our identity, I want to start Amuse anew as an organization capable of bringing more surprises based on events. To this end, I am planning to project numerous experiences, naturally including concerts and stage performances, that are in line with the times and transcend linguistic and cultural borders.

For our employees, event production is a practical opportunity to learn about the essence of creative activities. People with ideas and the ability to take action playing leading roles, engage their colleagues and inspire one another through cross-generational dialogue to improve as producers. I think an event has the power to develop strong individuals and strong teams.

I often hear people say, "Amuse is like a family." While the description may associate us with trust and ties, I have often felt a little uncomfortable.

Admittedly, we have been able to build a long history spanning nearly a half century because our artists and employees supported each other.  However, the "family-like" corporate culture may at times give birth to a closed, exclusive atmosphere and lead us to structurally resist change.

This is why I want to review the family-like atmosphere and restructure the company. An organization for unique individuals seeking challenge to compete and mutually improve while respecting one another. An organization where you can interact with highly talented people and many different industries more openly around the world. An organization where individuals can support one another while staying free. A family-like atmosphere conveyed by a team of strong individuals... I will pursue these.

Each one of us will become a powerful challenge seeker. In this way, we start anew as Amuse, a company that continually evolves with the times. Over the next half century, I want us to continue to sincerely pursue creative activities, put the spotlight on issues in society and remain a company that constantly inspires the world with surprises.

We hope that we can continue to count on your high expectations and ongoing support for the Amuse Group. Thank you.