On March 31, 2026, the final day of service, a summary of 27 years of history will be held.

ZEN University's Content Industry History Archive Research Center (HARC) will hold a public recording on March 31, 2026 (Tuesday), the day NTT DOCOMO's "i-mode®" service ends. The recording will feature Mari Matsunaga and Keiichi Enoki, who played a central role in the service's creation, along with Visiting Professor Takeshi Natsuno of ZEN University.

This lecture is a historical attempt to document the history of i-mode, which has driven the digital industry not only in Japan but also globally, and to make its valuable testimonies publicly available in real time.

☑︎ The origin of mobile internet, which transformed people's lifestyles around mobile phones

i-mode is the foundation of Japan's world-renowned mobile culture. It was a groundbreaking service that allowed anyone to easily access the internet from their mobile phones and utilize various content such as mobile banking, ticket reservations, news and weather forecasts, games, and fortune telling. Furthermore, in an era where free internet services were the norm, they introduced a monthly subscription-based paid content system, creating a new market from scratch.

This public lecture, held on the day the i-mode service ended, will feature founding members sharing behind-the-scenes stories of its development, the evolution of the industry, and insights into the future of digital society. These testimonies are intended to be recorded as "living primary sources" for the development of the content industry, and to pass them on to future generations.

[Special Public Lecture: "i-mode Ends 27 Years of History: The Founder Speaks About the Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 'Mobile Phone Revolution'" - Overview]

● Date and Time: March 31, 2026 (Tue) 19:00-24:00 (tentative)

● Speakers: Mari Matsunaga, Keiichi Enoki, Takeshi Natsuno (Visiting Professor, ZEN University)

○ First Half: Interviewers: Satoshi Endo (HARC Researcher, ZEN University), Pyonta Takahashi (HARC Researcher, ZEN University)

○ Second Half: Interviewer: Yoshitaka Kurita (Director, Dwango Co., Ltd., Representative of Nico Nico Operations)

The first half will feature interviews by experts, and the second half will include discussions of the final moments while incorporating comments from viewers.

● Streaming URL

○ Niconico Live: https://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv350124779

○ YouTube：https://youtube.com/live/lFI5Twlbjsk

❙ About the ZEN University Content Industry History Archive Research Center (HARC)

The Japanese content industry has had a significant impact on the world as a representative form of contemporary expressive culture. Furthermore, as a modern and comprehensive cultural creation industry, it has gained a large presence both domestically and internationally. This center's mission is to build an archive that broadly and deeply collects and preserves primary materials related to the people, things, and events that have shaped this history, and to make it publicly available for social use such as research, education, and business creation.

ZEN University HARC Official Website ▶ https://zen.ac.jp/harc

❙ About ZEN University

ZEN University utilizes cutting-edge IT technology to provide opportunities for university education to all. The Faculty of Intelligent Information Society, the only faculty at ZEN University, offers a balanced education that transcends specific academic disciplines, enabling students to acquire the literacy necessary to thrive in the rapidly changing AI era.

For more information about ZEN University ▶ https://zen.ac.jp/

Request the latest brochure ▶ https://zen.ac.jp/form