Kenzo Tsujimoto(Thập bổn hiến tam,Tsujimoto Kenzō,born December 15, 1940)is a Japanese businessman who founded the video game companiesCapcomandIrem.He has also served as president of the Computer Software Copyright Association since 1997, and was president ofComputer Entertainment Supplier's Associationfrom 2002 to 2006.
Kenzo Tsujimoto | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 15, 1940 |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Known for | Founder ofCapcomandIrem |
Biography
editTsujimoto was born inKashihara,Nara,as the third son of a blacksmith. In 1956, after graduating from junior high school from his father's early death, he got a job at a nearby company, and at the same time entered the part-time system of Nara Prefectural Unebi Senior High School. After graduating from the school in March 1960, he got a job at an uncle's food wholesale company. In March 1963, he was transferred to the confectionery wholesale business run by his uncle and became independent, and although the company name was changed to Tsujimoto Shoten, he failed to manage and had a debt of several millionyen.[1]
In 1968, the confectionery retailer Tsujimoto Shoten was reopened inOsaka,and when the children lined up at thecotton candymaking machine placed in the candy corner, it was not for the product itself, but for the process of making cotton candy. Two years later, Tsujimoto was peddling all over the country for the performance of selling this cotton candy making machine, and on his way home, he was entrusted with the modification of thepachinkomachine and sold 1,000 units per model, so he was convinced that game entertainment would grow in the future.[1][2][3]
In July 1974, Tsujimoto founded IPM, which becameIremand became its president. He established I.R.M. Corporation on May 30, 1979, and IRM changed its name to Sambi in 1981. The company released "IPM Invaders" and "Capsule Invaders" under license fromTaitoduring theInvaders gameepidemic. However, at Irem, Tsujimoto who was the chairman, was forced out because of poor performance due to the retreat of the Invaders boom.[1][4][5]
On June 11, 1983, he foundedCapcomas a sales company for Sambi and became president and representative director.[1]In July of the same year, the company's first gameLittle Leaguewas released.[1]In 1989, Sambi, which was developed, absorbed and merged with Capcom, which was in charge of sales, and changed the name of the surviving company, Sambi, to Capcom, and Tsujimoto continued to serve as president.[4]
In the 1990s, Tsujimoto established his fourth company "Kenzo Estate" as awineryas a sole proprietorship. He purchased 1,500 hectares of land inNapa, California,USA, which had been idle due to Capcom's business failure, from Capcom for 7 billion yen, and made it privately owned by Tsujimoto. First shipped in 2008, this winery's white wine "Asatsuyu" was selected as one of the "best wines" by a magazine for the wealthy in the United States in 2011.[1][2][6]
In 2001, Tsujimoto became Chairman and CEO of Capcom.[1]
Personal life
editTsujimoto's older son, Haruhiro, has served as Capcom's President andCOOsince 2007. His younger son, Ryozo, is a producer of theMonster Hunterseries.[7]He also holds an interest inwinery.[8]
Honours
editReferences
edit- ^abcdefg“トップの tiêu tượng thập bổn hiến tam” 『Toyo Keizai』2011 niên 7 nguyệt 9 nhật hào, pp.98-103
- ^ab“ワイドインタビュー vấn đáp hữu dụng 380 thập bổn hiến tam” 『エコノミスト』2011 niên 12 nguyệt 27 nhật hào, pp.50-53
- ^『Nhật kinh スペシャル カンブリア cung điện』2010 niên 8 nguyệt 2 nhật phóng tống
- ^abXích mộc chân trừng 『それは “ポン” から thủy まった アーケードTVゲームの thành り lập ち』アミューズメント thông tín xã, 2005 niên, p.339
- ^Triều nhật tân văn 2016 niên 8 nguyệt 12 nhật tịch khan 3 diện “Nhân sinh の tặng り vật - tư の bán sinh -” より.
- ^2011 niên 12 nguyệt 2 nhật triều nhật tân văn triều khan 2 diện, “ひと ワイン tạo りで tối cao の bình 価を thụ けたゲーム hội xã の xã trường “カプコン” xã trường thập bổn hiến tam” より.
- ^MacDonald, Keza (February 21, 2018)."Call me Mr Monster Hunter: the man who turned a Japanese curiosity into a global smash".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on February 21, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 21,2018.
- ^"Videogamer Becomes Vintner".Associated Press.2016-11-18.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-11-29.Retrieved2025-02-06.