The ZEN University Content Industry History Archive Research Center (HARC) released the third installment of its "Oral History Collection" on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. This collection features video and transcripts of testimonies from leading figures in various fields related to Japan's content industry.

Masao Maruyama, founder of numerous animation production companies including Madhouse, MAPPA, and Studio M2.

Hidetoshi Nishimori, who proposed "quantum annealing," a quantum computing technology that utilizes quantum effects

Rei Tanii, founder of "Magical iLand," a central site for posting cell phone novels

Kazuhiko Hachiya, the developer of the pet email software "PostPet" and a professor at Tokyo University of the Arts

Yuzuru Takemura, who planned DOS/V, which was announced by IBM Japan and enabled Japanese characters to be written on PC/AT compatible machines, and Toshimasa Taketane of the Open Architecture Development Group (OADG), who promoted the spread of PC/AT compatible machines.

The next oral history update is scheduled for Wednesday, October 22nd.

Passing on Valuable Testimonies of the Development of Japan's Content Industry as a Historical Asset to Future Generations

HARC's Oral History Collection is an initiative to preserve for future generations, through video and transcripts, testimonies from people active in the content industry, including games, animation, and manga, as well as the IT and internet culture fields that have created these industries.

While Japan's content industry has contributed to increasing international cultural influence and revitalizing the economy, many of the testimonies of those who supported it behind the scenes are already being lost, and there are few objective critiques or research results based on historical facts. By making oral history available as a historical asset for social use, such as research, education, and business creation, HARC hopes to pass on knowledge to future generations in the content industry. We have already conducted interviews with over 60 people, and plan to continue releasing more as part of our oral history collection.

[Oral History Collection List] *Titles omitted

<IT>
Tomio Goto (Former Director of NEC Corporation / Japan Personal Computer Museum, developer of the "TK-80" microcomputer kit)
Masao Suga (Former Toshiba Corporation / developer of the "Dynabook" and inventor of the "SD card")
Norio Murakami (Former CEO of Google Japan)
Keiji Takao (Former J-Phone / inventor of "Shamail")
Masaaki Hagino (Voyager / digital publishing business)
Hidetoshi Nishimori (IT / Tokyo University of Science, proponent of "quantum annealing") NEW!
Yoji Takemura (IT / former IBM Japan, DOS/V product planning) and Toshimasa Taketane (IT / former IBM Japan, promotion staff member of the OADG Council) NEW!

<Game>
Keiko Erikawa (Honorary Chairman and Director of Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd.)
Yoichi Erikawa (Chairman and Representative Director of Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd.) Chairman of the Board of Directors/Founder)
Yasuhiro Fukushima (Founder of the former Enix Co., Ltd.)
Shigeru Yamashita (Advisor to Sega Faive Co., Ltd./Former Chairman of the Japan Amusement Industry Association)

<Manga>
Machiko Satonaka (Manga Artist/"The Maidens of Aries," "Rainbow in the Sky," etc.)
Mitsuru Sugaya (Manga Artist/"Game Center Storm," etc.) NEW!

<Animation>
Yoichi Ogawa (President and CEO of Shirogumi Co., Ltd.)
Sunao Katabuchi (Animation Film Director/"In This Corner of the World," etc.)
Tatsuo Shimamura (Founder of Shirogumi Co., Ltd.)
Keiichi Hara (Animation Director/"Crayon Shin-chan," etc.)
Masao Maruyama (Animation/Madhouse, MAPPA, Studio M2) Founder) NEW!

<Internet Culture>
Jun Murai (Computer Scientist / "Father of the Internet in Japan")
Takashi Yamakawa (Former Nissho Iwai Corporation / Contributed to the creation of "NiftyServe")
Rei Tanii (Internet Culture / Founder of Maho no iLand) NEW!
Kazuhiko Hachiya (Internet Culture / Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, Media Artist, Developer of "PostPet") NEW!

Others