Digital Brand Building in Manga & Media: Lessons from Shogakukan’s CoroCoro
with Mr. Koichi Kobayashi, Mr. Tsuyoshi Ueno, Ms. Misato Nagakawa
Are you curious about how Japan’s manga industry continues to shape global entertainment? From Pokémon to Doraemon, CoroCoro Comic has been central to children’s culture for decades. Today, its influence is expanding far beyond print, through digital platforms like YouTube and international partnerships.
Our speaker, Mr. Koichi Kobayashi, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Monthly CoroCoro Comic at Shogakukan, has led the magazine’s digital expansion, launching YouTube channels with over 100,000 subscribers and millions of views. His work shows how legacy publishers can pivot into the digital era while creating global growth pathways.
He will be joined by Ms. Misato Nakagawa, who leads special programs in Technovate, Asia, and Japan for the English MBA program at GLOBIS University. Drawing on her roles at GLOBIS, Wake Up Japan, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she brings an international perspective to the dialogue.
Mr. Tsuyoshi Ueno, CEO of DRONE PILOT AGENCY Inc. and GLOBIS MBA graduate, will also join the session. Ueno-san researches the business impact of manga, co-authored An Introduction to MBA through the Stories of Legendary Manga, and supervised the hit business manga Stand UP Start. He now applies drones and AI to infrastructure diagnostics.
At this seminar, you will:
- Discover how CoroCoro Comic has shaped Japanese childhood culture for nearly 50 years
- Learn how Shogakukan is using digital platforms to expand its IP globally
- Gain insights from leaders bridging manga, media, and business innovation
Notes about this interactive hybrid event
This event will be held live online and on campus. Upon registration, all registrants will receive a Zoom link and directions to the event. Registrants can choose to join either online or on-campus freely.
– If you are joining online: Please try to have earphones, a microphone and/or a webcam ready
– If you are joining on-campus: Directions to the event will be included in the email.
Please arrive at the event location at least 10 minutes before the seminar begins.
Overview
| Date: | Wednesday, October 8, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 12:30 - 14:30 Central European Summer Time (CEST) (19:30 - 21:30 JST) |
| Where: | Hybrid |
| Registration Fee: | Free of charge |
| Language: | English |
Agenda
| 12:00 CEST | Reception Time |
|---|---|
| 12:30 CEST | Event Start |
| 12:35 CEST | Koichi Kobayashi Seminar |
| 13:05 CEST | Tsuyoshi Ueno Seminar |
| 13:15 CEST | Panel (Koichi Kobayashi ・Tsuyoshi Ueno ・GLOBIS Misato Nagakawa） |
| 13:30 CEST | Q&A |
| 14:00 CEST | Closing (Networking for On-site Attendees only) |
Deputy Editor-in Chief, CoroCoro Comic / Director, CoroCoro Comic Research Institutem Shogakukan
Mr. Koichi Kobayashi
After joining Shogakukan, Koichi Kobayashi worked in the Telebi-kun editorial department and the Digital Business Division before moving to the CoroCoro Comic editorial team in the Second Comics Division. He founded the CoroCoro Comic Research Institute, which collects one of Japan’s largest surveys of elementary school boys and leverages this data for marketing insights, serving as its first Director. Kobayashi has led a wide range of new initiatives, including game production, collaborations with local governments, and partnerships with professional sports teams. He is know for his ability to logically explain and analyze the world of comics, balancing both quantitative data and qualitative perspectives in an industry that values creativity and sensitivity.
Mr. Tsuyoshi Ueno
Mr. Tsuyoshi Ueno, CEO of DRONE PILOT AGENCY Inc. and GLOBIS MBA Graduate, will also join the session. Ueno-san researches the business impact of manga, co-authored An Introduction to MBA through the Stories of Legendary Manga, and supervised the hit business manga Stand UP Start. He now applies drones and AI to infrastructure diagnostics.
Me. Misato Nagakawa
Ms. Misato Nagakawa, who leads special programs in Technovate, Asia, and Japan for the English MBA program at GLOBIS University. Drawing on her roles at GLOBIS, Wake Up Japan, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she brings an international perspective to the dialogue.
