Takada Akira Reveals the Story Behind His Entrepreneurial Journey

Takata’s origins / The roots of Takata

“I used to run a small camera shop here. In the early mornings before opening, when customers came in and we were assisting them, my son, who was awake at the time (now the current president), would run around looking for his parents and fell down these stairs to the second floor twice.”

Pointing to a detailed model of his former home and shop placed in front of him, speaking with a cheerful tone, is the familiar face of television shopping, Akira Takata (77), the founder of “Japanet Takata.”

This year marks exactly ten years since he stepped down as president. In 1986, Takata separated from his father’s camera shop and established “Takata Co., Ltd.” Selling compact cameras on a local radio station helped him expand his network nationwide, and in 1994 he ventured into television shopping. Subsequently, he gradually implemented media strategies across print and the internet. In 1999, the company was renamed to its current name, “Japanet Takata,” laying the foundation for its mail-order business. Even as giant e-commerce companies like Amazon have emerged, Japanet has continued to focus on television shopping and maintain growth.

“I believe a company must embody the concept of ‘Fueki Ryuko’—permanence and change. It’s necessary to be sensitive to trends, but it’s also essential to have corporate principles that never change.”

The term “Fueki Ryuko” refers to capturing both the unchanging essence (fueki) and the continuously evolving trends (ryuko), and Takata has built this philosophy into the core of his management approach. The origin of this belief lies in his 16 years of experience selling commemorative photos in hotel banquet halls until he turned 40.

“Until I was 40, I went around hotel banquet halls, selling the photos I took to guests staying at the hotel. After the evening banquets, I rushed back to the store, worked through the night developing photos, and had them ready for sale at the breakfast halls the next morning. There were many days when I only got two to three hours of sleep. If the photos didn’t sell, the loss was entirely on me. That experience is the foundation of my approach, and it has been applied in many ways at Japanet today.”

How do you sell photos effectively? Through repeated sales, Takata realized a key principle.

“Customers are tough, you know (laughs). If the photo doesn’t capture them looking their best, it has no value even at 500 yen. So, even if you show a photo to someone saying, ‘This is you, ma’am,’ they might say, ‘That’s not me.’ Even if a friend says, ‘It’s you,’ the person might respond, ‘I don’t look like that,’ and get upset. That’s why, when taking photos, I continuously encouraged them with bright, energetic prompts like, ‘Look this way!’ If there are five people, all five will look this way. Then, if I print five copies, they will all buy them. The most important thing is ensuring we truly provide the value that the customer is paying for within that 500 yen—that really hit me deep down.”

The Day He Was Completely Defeated by His Son

Takata, who had been running a camera store in town, expanded his business into television shopping in 1994, focusing primarily on home appliances. Around 2009, the transition to terrestrial digital broadcasting created a special demand for TVs, and in 2010, Japanet recorded its highest-ever sales of 175.9 billion yen and an operating profit of 13.6 billion yen. However, once the special demand ended, TV sales plummeted, and by 2012, sales had dropped to 117 billion yen.

“At the time, we knew that our sales were heavily dependent on TVs, so a decline was expected. But the drop it fell by 60 billion yen all at once. I also heard people around me saying, ‘Is Japanet in trouble?’”

Takata immediately accepted the end of a trend and took decisive action.

“Japanet doesn’t only sell TVs. There are many good products like refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners. So, I decided to return to the basics and channel the power of communication we had cultivated into these appliances.”

He shifted the company’s core business to white goods. To motivate employees, he made a bold declaration:

“I said, ‘If we don’t achieve record profits next year, I will step down as president.’ I wasn’t feeling anxious or pressured.”

By cutting off his own escape route, he unified the organization, believing that employees would rise to the challenge if they were fully committed.

“In practice, we created two teams: the Tokyo team led by my son Akito (46), who was the vice president at the time, and the Sasebo team led by me, fostering internal competition. And the employees responded. In addition to aiming for record profits, a competitive spirit arose among the younger members, centered around my son, saying, ‘Let’s beat the Sasebo team!’ That was a great boost.”

As a result, in 2013, operating profit reached 15.4 billion yen, surpassing the previous record and proving their ability to respond accurately to market trends.

A key factor in overcoming this crisis was the presence of the current president, Akito. Their management styles were completely different: Takata was a strong-willed, one-man type, while Akito was more of a coordinator. However, their temperaments were similar, and clashes were frequent. One of the most intense conflicts occurred during the introduction of Japanet’s signature project, “Challenge Day,” which began in 2012.

“My son proposed an idea to sell only one product per day. From my experience, it was reckless. The advertising costs alone would exceed 100 million yen. I argued, saying, ‘It’s impossible, don’t let’s do it,’ but he wouldn’t back down. So I gathered 30–40 executives and said, ‘Let’s decide by majority vote. I’m against it.’”

The result was complete defeat for the father.

“Only two executives sided with me (laughs). Everyone else supported my son. I thought, ‘What?!’ But once it was decided, we had to do it. I was still an active MC at the time, so I put everything I had into it.”

Challenge Day became a success and remains a key project for the company. Takata became confident in the next generation’s growth and began considering his own retirement.

Finally, in January 2015, he handed over the presidency, declined the chairman role, and fully stepped away from management.

A 100-Billion-Yen Investment

Japanet has continued to grow with its unique model of carefully selecting products and proposing their value, reaching record annual sales of 272.5 billion yen in 2024.

Yet, despite its scale, the company remains unlisted. One reason for this is the “Nagasaki Stadium City,” opened last year in Takata’s hometown of Nagasaki Prefecture with an investment of 100 billion yen. This large-scale complex, including a soccer stadium and hotels, was fully funded and developed by Japanet to bring new vitality and employment to Nagasaki, which faces population decline.

“This regional revitalization project was only possible because the company is unlisted. If we were listed, we wouldn’t have the freedom to manage it. The Nagasaki Stadium City, a 100-billion-yen project pushed forward by my son, would never have been realized if we were a public company, as shareholders would have strongly opposed it. My son is driving the project, but my underlying thinking is the same. With the stadium city, more people come from outside the prefecture, and the city prospers. Contributing to the liveliness of my hometown brings me immense joy as a businessperson.”

This decision, distinct from the logic of a public company, is rooted in Japanet’s core mission.

“In the end, everything should exist for people. A company’s foundation must have the mission to contribute to the happiness and joy of people. When that is clear, employees and local residents feel motivated to work together. I believe that this is how society as a whole becomes brighter.”

This philosophy was also proven in 2017 when Takata helped rebuild V-Varen Nagasaki, a J2 professional soccer team that was on the brink of bankruptcy.

“At the time, salaries weren’t being paid. I simply told the players, ‘I will restore the management, so please focus on your play without worry.’”

By alleviating the players’ anxieties and strengthening ties with supporters, Takata triggered a dramatic change.

“Perhaps because the management changed, everyone’s mindset changed too. The team went 13 matches undefeated and secured promotion to J1 for the first time that year. The team had been on the verge of bankruptcy. This is the same in any field. It’s about mindset. The moment you genuinely think, ‘Okay, let’s do our best,’ people can unleash more power than they imagined. Even if things don’t go well, it’s okay to think, ‘I’ll try again.’”

What changed the mindset of V-Varen Nagasaki’s players was also the power of communication. And at the heart of that was Takata’s high-pitched television shopping voice. Why did his unique product presentations captivate so many people?

“Our job isn’t simply to sell products. It’s about showing how using that product can make customers’ lives happier. For example, when selling a voice recorder, it’s not enough to just explain that it can record. We consider elderly users and say, ‘Place it by your pillow, press a button to record “I’ll do this tomorrow,” and you won’t forget.’ It’s crucial to convey how the product benefits their lives and the value it creates—the story behind it.”

This month, Takata celebrated his 77th birthday. Ten years after stepping down as president, he looks a bit slimmer.

“Recently, I spend my time leisurely, coming to the office for interviews or giving lectures. In 2020, I also stepped down as president of V-Varen Nagasaki, leaving only my personal office. I’m thinking of playing more golf from now on.”

The man who built an era now enjoys a peaceful, relaxed life.

From the December 12, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”