2025/11/26

Professor Gustavo Tanaka from the Faculty of Global Engagement, Department of Global Studies, has published several case studies at Nikkei Bizruptors.

① Blending Tradition with Innovation in a Family Business – The Case of Bijuu Corp. (Otabe)
Bijuu Corp (Otabe), a family-run sweets company in Kyoto, has balanced innovation with tradition for over three generations. Its signature unbaked triangle-shaped (Otabe) and the Kyoto-style matcha Baumkuchen (Kyobaum) make Bijuu successful, maintaining a strong domestic and growing international appeal. How has its leadership fostered this delicate blend while ensuring continued business growth?

② Sony x Kadokawa – Strategic Alliance to Strengthen Intellectual Property Powerhouses
This case focuses on the strategic alliance between Sony (a global technology and entertainment conglomerate) and Kadokawa (a major publishing company) and how this partnership leverages intellectual property to create value across gaming, anime, and music in the global entertainment landscape. It invites students to analyze the situation and then propose ideas and recommendations at decision-making points throughout the case study.

③ Innovation Against Isolation: How OryLab’s Avatar Robots Bring People Together
This case study highlights how OryLab Inc., a Tokyo-based IT company, enables people with disabilities to participate in social and professional activities remotely through its avatar robot “Orihime”. It explores the potential of technology to promote social inclusion and support employment.

④ YKK – At the Crossroads of Growth and Social Responsibility
The focus of this case study is on how YKK (a global leader company in the zipper industry, with around 40% of market share) balances its long-term competitive strategy with its corporate social responsibility agenda, amid intensifying global competition.

⑤ Strategic Cost Management – Improving performance in SMEs through the right Costing (and Pricing)
This case examines how small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in emerging markets can remain competitive by optimizing costing and pricing strategies. Using a Thai company (TMX), the case compares three different costing methods and explores the most effective approaches to improve business performance.

⑥ Entrepreneurial Cost Analysis – Planning and Decision-Making Techniques for SMEs
This case explores the practical challenges a young entrepreneur faces at different stages of growth, guiding learners through the application of key strategic cost management concepts to answer essential questions like which products yield the highest profitability, how many units must be sold to break even or reach a profit goal, and whether expanding into new products or markets is financially viable.

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