ASOBISYSTEM (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Yusuke Nakagawa) and ORIGINAL Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroyuki Fushitani) have entered into a capital and business alliance agreement.

Both companies aim to grow Japanese culture, art, tourism, and food culture into sustainable businesses in international markets. To achieve this, the pair will build a joint platform to capture both overseas expansion and inbound tourism. This will be done by combining ASOBISYSTEM’s planning/production capabilities and experience in overseas market expansion with ORIGINAL’s global network of companies/people and operational design skills, cultivated through 17 years of operating the global media brand “Time Out” in Japan. 

■Alliance Background Purpose

International interest in Japanese culture, art, tourism, and food culture is higher than ever before. The Japanese government has set public-private targets to attract 60 million foreign visitors spending 15 trillion yen by 2030, and to expand the overseas market size of Japanese content to 20 trillion yen by 2033, making the overseas expansion of content and regional attractions a priority. However, the industry as a whole is still in the process of establishing a foundation to capture the momentum generated by inbound Japanese experiences and overseas events and tours to turn them into sustainable business opportunities.

Since its establishment in 2007, ASOBISYSTEM has continued to promote Japanese culture both domestically and internationally, with a focus on people and live experiences through artist management and the planning and operation of events. ORIGINAL was founded in the same year and has been sharing the many appealing aspects of Tokyo and Japan to the world via Time Out Tokyo (launched in 2009), the local edition of the global media brand Time Out, which operates in 350 cities worldwide. It’s done so by rediscovering and restructuring the value of Japanese cities and culture from a global perspective, and both companies have attempted to create links between Japan and international markets from different angles.

Through this alliance, the two companies will jointly build a foundation to harness the global interest in Japanese culture and transform it into a sustainable business in the international market.

■Alliance Overview

The alliance will focus on the following initiatives:

1. Jointly establishing an operational platform in overseas markets
Both companies will plan, build, and operate a platform that transforms the appeal generated by Japan’s culture, arts, tourism, and culinary traditions into a sustainable business. ORIGINAL will utilize its global network of companies and individuals along with its platform design/operations capacity via Time Out, while ASOBISYSTEM will contribute its planning, production, and overseas market expansion experience. Efforts will initially target English-speaking markets centered around the West and Australia, which hold a growing presence in inbound tourism.

2. Collaboration in inbound tourism and regional revitalization
Combining both companies’ brands, expertise, and networks, they will jointly work on elevating inbound tourist experiences and regional internationalization.

3. Exploration of joint investment schemes
Both companies will begin evaluating new investment structures, including funds, to expand joint business projects.

To promote this long-term business alliance, ASOBISYSTEM has invested in ORIGINAL, becoming a strategic shareholder. As business partners, both companies will explore and execute new projects aimed at mutual growth.

■Representative Comments

Yusuke Nakagawa, President of ASOBISYSTEM
“Since our founding, ASOBISYSTEM has continued to challenge itself to bring Japanese culture to the world from Harajuku, with our business centered on people and live experiences. What I’ve felt as we keep moving forward is the need for a platform that captures and nurtures the momentum we generate, rather than letting it end as a temporary fad. ORIGINAL and its President, Mr. Fushitani, who founded their company in the same year and has continuously shared Japan’s charm from a global viewpoint, are reassuring partners to build this foundation with. Together, we want to create new encounters and experiences, paving a lasting path for culture originating in Japan to expand across the globe.”

Hiroyuki Fushitani, President of ORIGINAL Inc. / Representative of Time Out Tokyo
“Right now, as global attention turns passionately toward Japanese culture, what is lacking is not exposure, but a mechanism to capture that interest and cultivate it into a sustainable business. I’m thrilled that two companies founded in the same year, who have bridged Japan and the world in their own respective ways, are joining hands to build a shared platform to capture global interest. I deeply resonate with how President Nakagawa brings his passionate vision to life alongside his team using their own approach. Culture is not built through standard corporate schemes; it is cultivated through long-term trial and error. I intend to cherish that principle in this alliance.”