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Management team


The President and CEO

Kazuhiro Kubota
Graduated from Osaka University, School of Science
1985: He joined the Semiconductor Operation Unit of NEC Corporation and worked there for 15 years. He gained expertise in the development and marketing of graphics chips for personal computers, architecture designs of the Windows-based accelerator, custom-made graphics chips for major game makers, and single chip design for WindowsCE. He was also responsible for the research project to develop devices for electronic books.
1999: He became the product manager of the Semiconductor Operation Unit. In the same year, he decided to leave NEC though he felt fulfilled in the company. This was because he chose to follow what he wanted to do next. He took up the position of development manager of KOTO CO., Ltd. In KOTO, he conducted the projects to develop chips for hand-held games.
2000: He became one of the directors in September.
2001: He assumed the position of President and CEO of KOTO in July. Since then, he has dedicated himself to managing KOTO in order to put out products that range from "analogue" to "digital" to make the world entertaining.
About him: From his early childhood, he has been a railroad buff. He still keeps saying that he was a steam locomotive in a previous life. He put his heart into basketball in his teens and later got absorbed in musical activities as a band member. For his graduation thesis, he was deeply involved in the research of the 8bit personal computer with 6809 and entered the computer world. For his relaxation, he still enjoys playing basketball and playing guitar, and drums.

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The Director, Engineering Dept. & Sales Dept.

Tomoyoshi Tanaka
Graduated from Doshisha University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
1989: He joined Nintendo Co., Ltd. and was engaged in projects to develop handheld crystal display games and stereo display games such as "Game Boy" and "Virtual Boy".
1997: He jointly launched KOTO and became the chief of the development department. He was responsible for the projects of hand held games known as "WonderSwan" and "WonderSwan Color" which were released by Bandai. After completing these projects, he was promoted to the senior manager of Development department and lead the development of "POCKET CHALLENGE V2", a mobile learning device, launched by Benesse Corporation.
2004: In addition to the device solution business, he managed the projects of paper handicraft kits, the "Hinemos Kit", that can recycle paper, and "Piperoid" that consist of 6 colorful paper pipes.
2006: He became the " Director, Device solutions" in May.
2008: He became the Director of both Engineering Dept. & Sales Dept.
About him: He buys the products which he has devoted his energy to develop. This is because he is willing to review them from the consumers' point of view and feel the excitement just as one of the customers. The most valuable thing for him is to make people smile. He aims to create such products with team members both inside and outside of the company, sharing the ups and downs, and the stimulus. Sometimes heavy metal music can be heard from the office basement, which he plays to unwind.

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The Director, Second Development Dept., & CTO

Masayuki Imanishi
Graduated from Doshisha University, MA in Engineering research.
1998-91: He was engaged in developing game titles for Nintendo Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System as a contracted programmer when he was a still university student. He contributed to produce one title for the North American market and two for the Japanese market as a sub and main programmer.
1992: He got a position at NEC Corporation in the field of digital signal processor development , mainly for audio codec and video codec, and its development environment improvement, and worked there for 4 years. Later, he was assigned to head the development of 3D graphics chips for game usage for 3 years.
Major accomplishments:
1. Planed, designed and developed 3D graphic-chip-architecture.
2. Designed and developed low-level-graphic-driver for the 3D graphic-chip.
3. Designed and developed WindowsCE use driver for the 3D graphic-chip.
4. Designed and developed basic graphic libraries for arcade games and supported to start up arcade print circuit boards which adopted the 3D graphic-chip.
5. Planed, design and developed the next generation geometry engine chip.
1999: Resigned from NEC Corporation.He joined an independent software developing company and was appointed as a Director. As a topnotch game developer, he contributed to planning and developing game titles of PlayStation and PlayStation2 for the Japanese market. The total sales volume of the two reached to about 600,000 units.
2005: Joined KOTO as the leader of the graphics chips development team.
2006: He became the "Director, CTO, Semiconductor solutions" in May. He supervised the development of the software for "V.Flash Home Edutainment System" released from V.Tech Ltd. located in Hong Kong. "V.Flash Home Edutainment System", distributed in the US market, is an educational video game system that combines age-appropriate educational content with 3-D graphics, fast-paced game play, real video and pictures and three unique modes of play.
2008: He became the Director of Second Development Dept. and Piperoid project leader.
About him:He says "We always think about our end-customers and are strongly committed to not producing "cheap and bad" products but products with excellent workmanship which we have devoted ourselves to. This is because Koto believes such heartfelt products will help to make people happier. This has been Koto's philosophy to produce goods since its establishment. We are going to keep the flag flying."

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The Director, Planning Dept. & First Development Dept.

Koichi Sano
Graduated from Nagoya University, Department of Architecture.
1991: He joined Nintendo Co., Ltd. and was engaged in projects to develop CD-ROM system for SUPER NINTENDO and SATELLAVIEW, an adaptor to receive data from broadcast satellites.
1995: Resigned from Nintendo Co., Ltd. and took part in a venture company from its launch, which was founded by developers who also worked for Nintendo Co., Ltd.. He devoted himself to projects to develop multimedia-processors and home-use sensory-game-consoles which were powered by the processors.
2006: He joined Koto as a Chief of Development Dept.
2007: He became a Senior manager of Development Dept. Since 2006, he has led the research and development project for a multifunctional multimedia chip commissioned by NEDO as well as other various projects to produce new game devices.
2008: He took on multiple roles as a Director, and Senior manager of both Planning Dept. and First development dept.
About him: He has been fascinated by the world of computer games since he was a small child. He has pursued his career in the field of computer entertainment consistently in the hope of utilizing his knowledge of artificial reality, majored in at the university, for the computer game development. He says, "I have been trying to interpret the essence of live entertainment, like musicals and concerts and adopt them to computer entertainment. This is a challenge to approximate the boundaries between live entertainment and the virtual world limited by a screen. There is another necessary element to first-class entertainment, according to him. That is the "hospitality" to consider "explicitness", "comfort" and "usability" for users. "It is quite natural to produce a product which we believe to be enjoyable and fun. But, we should not force users to accept the developer's own concept and style. Hardly can be it referred to as topnotch entertainment if there is no "hospitality" behind it to take into account the users' real point of view. This is the ultimate entertainment that KOTO aspires to. He is deeply attached to Disney Theme Park and has been to Tokyo Disney Resort more than 60 times in total. He says "Disney Theme Park makes every effort to provide its audience with the feeling of "deep emotion and happiness" throughout the entire presentation. Not only the attractions and show-parades held in the Park but also the carefully-planned presentation of its view of the world corresponding to each theme, beautiful facilities kept clean, and casts providing polite and friendly service. It is a sea of excitement." When he talks about Disney Theme Park, he becomes noting else except for a Disney buff.

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*1) "POCKET CHALLENGE V2" is a registered trademark of Benesse Corporation.
*2) "WonderSwan" is a registered trademark of Bandai Co., Ltd.
*3) "Game Boy", "Virtual Boy", "Nintendo Family Computer", "Nintendo Entertainment System" and "SATELLAVIEW" are registered trademarks of Nintendo Co., Ltd.
*4) "PlayStation" and "PlayStation2" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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