executive impact

Full plate for veteran TV producer Akifumi Takuma

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By Chris Betros

For Akifumi Takuma, producing TV dramas and opening restaurants are very similar — he sees them as both entertaining customers. Takumi runs three companies — Thunderstorm Entertainment Group (which produces content for TV and mobile platforms), Brand Screen Ltd (which acts as an agent to sell fashion program contents to other media) and PBJapan (which operates restaurants and a cafe).

Japan Today visits Takuma in Roppongi at the Spanish restaurant he operates — Asador El Cielo — to hear more.

What is your background?

I was born in Tokyo. After majoring in economics at Keio University, I went to Rutgers University in New Jersey where I obtained an MBA. When I was 25, I returned to Japan and joined Fuji TV. I spent 34 years there and left last year.

What were you doing at Fuji?

At first, I was in the sales department, then the programming department for 11 years. Ratings were high then and I had a very good time. It was the bubble era. After that, I went to the motion picture department where I produced movies like “Waterboys.” I was there for eight years and then I went to New York where I was doing business development which included Japanese language broadcasting two hours a day in the New York and LA areas. I came back to Tokyo in 2008.

Why did you decide to leave Fuji?

I was looking for new challenges. All my dreams at Fuji TV had been achieved. I had to think about my second life at 60, so I decided to start my own business. Last year, I established Thunderstorm Entertainment Group to produce TV dramas and movies.

Isn’t that a risky business?

Thunderstorm is only me and I have already produced one TV drama for CS Fuji. I get a production fee, so it’s not such a risk. I have a lot of contacts at companies like Netflix, WOWOW, and Warner.

What changes do you see in the production industry?

The media landscape has changed in a big way. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, for example, companies like Fuji, TBS and others were the big players. Now we are in the era of the Internet and smartphone influence. But one thing is constant — they all still need contents. Based on my career, I can produce contents for both broadcasting and Internet media.

Tell us about your other two companies.

Brand Screen has produced the TV program "Answers" on BS Fuji. It started last October and now airs Fridays at 12 midnight. It introduces fashion trends both in Japan and overseas. Brand Screen is also planning to help revitalize the Tokyo Collection this year as a producer. My third company is PBJapan which manages the Spanish restaurant Asador El Cielo, Toku (Japanese cuisine) and a cafe, named Christopher Street, in Shinjuku’s gay area.

How is Asador El Cielo doing?

It’s tough to make a restaurant profitable in the first few months. It opened last December. We’ve done a little bit of advertising on Tabelog and Gurunavi. This is not a typical Spanish restaurant. It’s based on the Basque style of slow-cooking steak culture using a Josper grill. According to the feedback from customers so far, the atmosphere, dishes and price are very reasonable. In November, I will open another Spanish grill restaurant in Naka-meguro which is a hot area right now. The menu will be similar but a little cheaper than the Roppongi Asador. I probably won’t open any more restaurants after the Naka-meguro one.

Producing movies and TV dramas would seem to be very different from operating restaurants.

Actually, restaurant and movie producing are very similar. Both are a kind of entertainment and both aim to please customers. For movies, we have to think about ideas, story and cast. With restaurants, we have to think about the concept, hire the chef, work out the menu. Of course, with restaurants, it is a bit more difficult to find good, young energetic staff.

Are you optimistic about the Japanese economy?

In one sense, I am optimistic. Our customers are in the top 30-40% of income earners and they are still strong spenders.

How do you divide your time between your three companies?

Usually, I go to the Thunderstorm office and am there most days and have meetings outside. For Brand Screen, we have a company meeting once a week. The same with PBJapan. I go to Asador some nights when close friends are here. It’s fun reminiscing about the old days.

How do you like to relax?

I play golf sometimes. I also like to read novels and comics. I find them very inspiring.

© Japan Today

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