Nippon Television Music Corporation, a pivotal music publishing arm within Japan’s prominent multi-platform entertainment conglomerate Nippon TV, has announced the appointment of Kako Kuwahara as its new President and CEO. This strategic leadership change is poised to further accelerate Nippon TV Music’s global ambitions, particularly in the realm of anime music and character intellectual properties (IPs).
A Strategic Appointment for Global Growth
Kako Kuwahara steps into the role previously held by Akihiro Shimizu, who has transitioned to become the new president of Tipness Co. Ltd., another subsidiary of Nippon Television Holdings, focused on fitness clubs across Japan. The leadership transition signifies a concerted effort by Nippon TV to bolster its international footprint, leveraging the rich musical and character IP assets generated by its content.
Nippon TV Music, established in 1969 and headquartered in Tokyo, plays a crucial role in managing a diverse portfolio of musical works originating from Nippon TV’s extensive programming. This includes coordinating theme songs and background scores for a wide array of Nippon TV shows, handling master recording production, and managing vital copyrights. Beyond music, the division is also instrumental in overseeing international merchandising and game adaptations for major IPs, solidifying its position as a key driver of Nippon TV’s global content strategy. In her new capacity, Kuwahara will report directly to Keiichi Sawa, Senior Operating Officer at Nippon TV Holdings, underscoring the strategic importance of her mandate.
Kuwahara’s Proven Track Record
Kako Kuwahara brings a wealth of relevant experience and a proven track record to her new role. She has previously served with distinction as the Head of International Business and, notably, as the Head of Anime Business at Nippon TV. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the global success and launch of several hit anime titles, including “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” and “The Apothecary Diaries.”
Her expertise in the anime and international business sectors has been a significant asset in boosting Nippon TV’s presence in the global anime marketplace. Before leading the anime business, Kuwahara had a varied career within Nippon TV, with successful stints in the Production, Public Relations, Sales, and Pay TV divisions before transferring to the International Business Development (IBD) team in 2015. She was promoted to Managing Director of the IBD division in 2017, where she oversaw the GEM channel in Southeast Asia and streamlined rights clearing processes for content export sales. Her work has consistently aimed to take the company’s international business to new heights, demonstrating a clear focus on global expansion. In October 2020, Nippon TV further solidified its commitment to anime by launching its first in-house anime department, with Kuwahara appointed as its Executive Vice President of Business Development. This history positions her uniquely to lead Nippon TV Music’s ambitious global drive.
Elevating Japanese Music and IP on the World Stage
Kuwahara’s appointment aligns directly with Nippon TV Music’s stated objective to strengthen its presence in the global market. Nippon TV Music manages a wide array of musical works for globally recognized anime such as “Death Note,” “Hunter x Hunter,” “The Apothecary Diaries,” and “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” working closely with sub-publishers worldwide. The company also oversees international merchandising and game adaptations for major IPs, including “Hunter x Hunter” and the beloved children’s franchise “Anpanman.”
In a statement regarding her new position, Kuwahara expressed a clear vision for the future, emphasizing the immense potential of Japanese entertainment on a global scale. She stated, “While Nippon TV is already a global powerhouse in Japanese entertainment, we at Nippon TV Music aim to further elevate our presence through music produced by us on Nippon TV’s hit shows.” She further articulated the aspiration to collaborate with talented Japanese music creators to produce music and characters from anime, films, drama series, and variety shows that will “resonate with audiences worldwide.” This vision underscores a holistic approach to content exploitation, recognizing the symbiotic relationship between visual content and its accompanying musical and character IPs.
The Broader Vision of Nippon TV Holdings
Kuwahara’s leadership at Nippon TV Music fits seamlessly into the broader strategic direction of Nippon Television Holdings. The group has recently revised its management philosophy and established a new management vision, encapsulated by the slogan “Gear up, go global.” This new strategic roadmap, outlined in the Medium-Term Management Plan 2025-2027, aims to transform Nippon TV into a global content creator.
The plan explicitly targets significant growth in international sales, with an aim to achieve ¥30 billion in international sales by fiscal year 2027, and a long-term goal of ¥100 billion in international sales by fiscal year 2033. To achieve these ambitious targets, Nippon TV is focused on rebuilding its planning and production framework to be acutely aware of overseas markets, expanding global distribution of dramas, increasing international sales of entertainment formats, and engaging in international co-productions. The appointment of Kako Kuwahara, with her deep understanding of international business and anime, is a direct reflection of this corporate commitment to expand Nippon TV’s content influence and commercial success on the global stage.
