Interviews with Academic Staff

Professor Hong Seung Ko was born in South Korea, and formerly worked for the giant South Korean electrical appliance and electronic components maker, Samsung Electronics as the Manager of Information Strategies to bring to life Internet-based corporate strategy, CALS (primarily B2B conceptually-based), and e-commerce for general consumers. He also made major contributions to the informatization and profitability of that company.
Professor Hong spoke at length about the human talent that will be needed in the e-business world, as it undergoes dramatic shifts.

Professor Shozo Naito worked for (formerly) Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company (currently NTT) as the Head Researcher in the Information & Distribution Platform Laboratory and is a specialist in networks and information security. Professor Naito spoke with us about security primarily focused on the future trends of system introductions and event hosting in Japan.

Professor Gary Tsuchimochi, Professor of Educational Philosophy (Teaching Philosophy), teaches students and classes at The Kyoto Graduate School of Information Science. KCGI students are encouraged to form a learning community that creates learning portfolios.

Professor Yoshitaka Kai developed a logistics system, as well as Japan’s first apparel MD system using AI, for Teijin Ltd., a leading Japanese textile manufacturer. Prof. Kai later moved to the Mitsubishi Trust and Banking Corporation (now Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation), where he was responsible for the development and operation of an asset-management system. Drawing on his 28 years of experience in the business word, Prof. Kai provides guidance on management science, finance and fintech at KCGI.

A singer-songwriter born in Montreal, Canada, who has fascinated audiences all over the world with his multilingual skills. She is one of the three main vocalists of "Cirque du Soleil" an entertainment group that performs circuses and musicals in various countries. Among the top vocalists, she was the only one whose lyrics and music were chosen for a Cirque du Soleil show, and can be said to be the top singer in the group. She does not belong to any record company label, and performs songs and songwriting and also does graphic design, promotion, and sales.

“Japanese Animation and ICT” KCGI explores the creation of new markets and business models through this combination of concentrations "IT Manga and Anime". Professor Yasuhiro Takeda is in charge of special lectures on Animation Planning, Production and Promotion. Professor Takeda was involved in the establishment of Gainax Corporation, famous for its 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. He is also the director of the "Museum of Fantasy and Art Fukushima Sakura Yugakusha". As an animation producer, he produced many works including the game 'Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel', 'Aim for the top 2', 'Abenobashi Magical Shopping District' and 'Hanamaru Kindergarten'. In collaboration with his company, KCG Group created a commercial to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of our establishment

With a name derived from the Japanese phrase "mirai kara kita hajimete no oto" ("the first sound from the future”), Hatsune Miku is a virtual idol who will sing with a synthetic voice when a user inputs lyrics and a melody into a computer. Hatsune Miku has held live concerts not only in Japan but overseas as well, swaying the hearts of a multitude of fans. Hiroyuki Itoh, Representative Director at Crypton Future Media Inc., the company which created the Hatsune Miku synthetic voice software that is the cause of this sensation, has joined KCGI as a professor. Professor Itoh, who continues to develop the software which produces the computerized voices, offers the following message for the young people who will lead the IT industry of the future. "The frontier of the information revolution of which we are only midway through is vast without limit and your future prospects spread before you without limit. I ask that you dedicate yourselves to your studies with this concept firmly in mind."