JTB Corporation and ASOBISYSTEM will establish a joint venture, ASOBI JTB Corporation, to fuse Japan’s pop culture―particularly “KAWAII” culture―with regional resources and promote the creation of new experiential value for inbound foreign travelers.

ASOBI JTB, as a business production company updating the world with pop culture, aims to evolve Japan into a hub for inspiring experiences chosen by overseas visitors. We will achieve this through multi-domain co-creation projects with regions, municipalities, and companies nationwide, creating new regional IP and revitalizing content tourism. Furthermore, we will leverage “KAWAII” to build a global fandom for Japanese pop culture and challenge ourselves to expand into overseas markets for the entertainment and content industries.

■Background of Company Establishment

JTB and ASOBISYSTEM entered into a strategic partnership in February 2025 and have since explored new business opportunities to further develop their collaboration. In recent years, Japan’s inbound tourism market has achieved rapid recovery and expansion. However, structural challenges have also become apparent, including the uneven distribution of visitors across cities and regions, limited regional consumption, and a shortage of tourism personnel and stakeholders.
At JTB, we are promoting a shift from “quantity” to “quality” to address these challenges. We position the creation of new experiential value for international visitors as a key business strategy. This involves not only directing visitors to local areas but also enabling local stakeholders and visitors to share value, with the resulting benefits flowing back into the local community, ensuring both effectiveness and sustainability. In advancing our strategy, we believe there is significant potential to create new reasons for visiting and experiential value by combining Japan’s globally popular pop culture with local resources.
JTB and ASOBISYSTEM have established a joint venture to fuse JTB’s long-cultivated regional networks, tourism data, customer referral expertise, and visitor attraction know-how with ASOBISYSTEM’s creative capabilities and IP creation power in the entertainment sector. This collaboration aims to redefine regional value through innovative tourism development that nurtures both regions and future growth, delivering value to diverse stakeholders.

■Sebastian Masuda Appointed Chief Kawaii Officer (CKO)

ASOBI JTB welcomes artist Sebastian Masuda, who works in both Japan and New York as a symbol of Japan’s “KAWAII” culture, as its Chief Kawaii Officer (CKO).

As a pioneer who has been spreading “KAWAII” from Harajuku to the world since the 90s, and who pioneered a new genre by crossing boundaries between art, entertainment, and fashion, we plan to position the philosophy and worldview of “KAWAII” cultivated by Masuda as the symbolic value of the new company. We also anticipate receiving creative insights and suggestions on a project-by-project basis.

■3 Core Business Pillars

1. Food & Beverage Business × KAWAII
We will support the re-launch of the iconic IP ‘KAWAII MONSTER CAFE*1,’ supervised by Sebastian Masuda, newly appointed Chief Kreative Officer (CKO) of Asobi JTB. We will also develop creative new approaches for the food and beverage business. This IP offers a unique “KAWAII” worldview that has garnered support from fashion professionals and creators worldwide.

*1 The store attracted over 700,000 visitors, primarily foreign tourists to Japan, before its closure in 2021, earning high acclaim both domestically and internationally. Going forward, we will leverage this IP to promote multifaceted initiatives, including experiential events, commercial facility development, and regional collaborations.

2. Regional Festivals × KAWAII
We will launch the “KAWAII Market (tentative name)” as a traveling event across the country, offering fun days and nights.
We will curate dining, retail, workshops, and stage performances within the Kawaii culture universe, creating locally-born experiences that spread globally through social media. We will also incorporate themes and performances unique to each region, providing new opportunities for interaction that both international visitors and local residents can enjoy together.

3. Collective Impact Initiative
Through co-creation with local governments, DMOs, tourism facilities, and businesses, we will reinterpret regional culture, create new experiences and value, and support the development of new regional appeal and the creation of hit products for the current times.
Additionally, we aim to create sustainable initiatives by fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including local governments, regional businesses, creators, and private companies, to address regional challenges such as the homogenization of tourism content and insufficient information sharing.

Specifically, we will promote the following initiatives:
・Comprehensive planning, development, and provision of content and IP, including character design, visual design, world-building, story, sound, and more
・KAWAII MONSTER CAFE and original IP-based spatial collaborations (experiential installations and pop-ups at lodging facilities, stations, airports, and public spaces)
・Creating new points of connection between international visitors to Japan and local communities through experiential design grounded in regional context and culture

■The Value Provided by ASOBI JTB

・JTB’s nationwide network of tourism businesses and regional collaborative capabilities
・The foundation for analyzing accumulated behavioral data of foreign visitors to Japan and providing customer referral solutions at JTB
・Creative solutions rooted in Japanese pop culture from ASOBISYSTEM
・Collaboration with ASOBISYSTEM’s integrated entertainment business and media network

By combining these elements, we operate as a “business production company that updates the world through pop culture,” sharing Japan’s appeal globally.

■Message from the Presidents

JTB Corporation Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer Eijiro Yamakita
“We want to further enhance the reasons why tourists continue to choose Japan when traveling. Driven by that conviction, we decided to establish this joint venture. By combining ASOBISYTEM’s unique power to disseminate pop culture with JTB’s regional and tourism expertise, we will reconstruct regional appeal as “experiences” while pioneering the future of new, inspiring experiences in Japan.”

ASOBISYSTEM President and CEO Yusuke Nakagawa
“We want to harness the global passion for “KAWAII” to further benefit local communities and Japan’s future, and we believe that this joint venture will make that vision a reality. By combining JTB’s extensive network and regional connections with ASOBISYSTEM’s expertise in creating cultural experiences, we will showcase new reasons for overseas visitors to come to Japan.”

<Joint Venture Overview>
Company Name: ASOBI JTB Co., Ltd.
Representative Director: Atsushi Saito
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Establishment Date: January 2026 (planned)
Shareholders and Shareholding Ratios: JTB Corporation: 50% ASOBISYSTEM Co., Ltd.: 50%

■Seeking Co-creation Partners
ASOBI JTB warmly welcomes co-creation with municipalities, DMOs, tourist facilities, and businesses.
We aim for co-creation across a wide range of areas, including creating new reasons for visitors to come to each region, new ways to redefine the brand, and the development of new experiences.
We aim to foster broad collaboration, from initial idea consultations to feasibility studies and pilot project planning.

■Contact for inquiries regarding this matter
ASOBI JTB Corporation Public Relations and Business Planning
Address: 2-26-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Email: info@asobijtb.com
Web: https://asobijtb.com