Intro
duction

Hiro Tezuka

2026 New Graduate
Bushiroad Licensing Department, Rights Team 1

With the Team's Support, Even Greenhorns Can Take a Powerful Step Forward

Please let us know what your work is like.

I am in charge of addressing licensor inquiries and project progress management for the trading card game "Weiß Schwarz."

"Weiß Schwarz" frequently develops products in collaboration with IP owned by external parties, and my main job is to communicate with the rights holders, complete the products, and see them through to launch.

I handle various tasks toward the commercialization of products, from signing contracts to submitting product designs for approval, moving my project forward by collaborating with Bushiroad’s in-house product development team and the rights holders to the completion of a single product.

What is the working environment like in the team that you are working in?

Including the team leader, there are many young members in their 20s, and the team is bright and lively. Because our ages are not far apart, it is an open environment where we can ask questions and communicate freely everyday.

Everyone has products they are in charge of and advances their projects at their own pace. Basically, everyone proceeds with their tasks, but if there is something they do not understand or are unsure about, they immediately consult with their team members. Also, even if our assignments differ, we often give advice to and support each other.

Our working environment allows everyone to take responsibility for their own work while supporting one another and working collaboratively as a team.

Since entering the company, how have you been able to apply what you have learnt?

I gradually expanded my responsibilities while building on experience gained through my internship and support from my senior colleagues.

I had been working at Bushiroad as an intern for about two years, and was already involved in my current work before joining. I steadily accumulated experience, starting with simple work such as sending product color samples to rights holders and handling email correspondence.

My senior colleagues followed up with me one-on-one so that I could consult immediately if there was something I did not understand, enabling me to advance my work smoothly. As I got the hang of work, the number of products I was entrusted with increased, and situations where I made independent judgments and my own decisions gradually increased.

I feel that increasing what I could do at a steady pace also led to greater confidence in myself.

What made you decide to join Bushiroad?

The biggest deciding factor was realizing during my internship that it was "an environment where young people could take on challenges."

In addition to my love of entertainment, I was also strongly attracted to Bushiroad's culture of "giving young people opportunities to take on new challenges."

During my internship, I did not simply complete assigned tasks— I acted on my own initiative and involved those around me to advance projects, so I was able to experience firsthand that "this really is an environment where young people can have a say in their work."

My deciding factor for joining was because my attitude of "wanting to proactively propose and take on challenges" matched the company's culture.

Was there any gap between your expectations before and your actual experience after you joined Bushiroad?

There was no major gap. Having already felt during my internship that young employees are actively entrusted with work, that impression did not change after joining.

During my internship too, I was encouraged to "try it first!" and was given opportunities to gain experience in various tasks.

Among those experiences, being able to work on tasks while thinking independently and engaging in trial and error myself is connected to my current work.

After joining, the scope of work I am in charge of has expanded further, and I get to proceed with work with a greater sense of responsibility. I want to continue taking on new challenges with a positive attitude.

What do you find difficult about your current work?

The difficulty lies in coordinating the in-house product development team and the rights holders, while managing progress and taking both parties’ requests into account.

Products are not made by one person alone; they are shaped through collaboration with various people from within and outside the company. Therefore, it is essential to always grasp the overall progress and ensure a smooth transition to the next process.

I feel that the difficulty unique to this job is advancing my project while carefully communicating with all related parties, maintaining this delicate balance while reliably delivering products according to schedule.

Innovation That Begins With "First, Take On The Challenge," Then Thinking Things Through On The Front Lines

Do you feel like you were able to apply what you learnt as a student in your current job?

I feel that my experience of first putting my interests into action remains useful in my current work.

In university, I participated in student organizations, oversaw business contests, and started clubs. None of them were planned from the beginning; rather, I took care to take the first step when I thought, "This looks interesting, let's try it!"

Taking action as you go often reveals new things, and from there I repeat thinking about what is necessary and connecting it to the next step. The attitude of "First, embrace new challenges" that I developed through such experiences is something I value in my current work as well.

When entrusted with a new task, rather than worrying too much about whether I can do it perfectly from the start, I prefer to take the first step and build momentum. I feel that actually acting on tasks and connecting what I learn to the next action leads to my own growth.

Do you have career goals you hope to achieve through working at Bushiroad?

Create products that satisfy both our internal development team and rights holders, and deliver them to fans.

First, my primary goal is to work closely with related parties to meet the schedule for the products I currently handle and successfully oversee them till release.

In the future, rather than simply managing schedules and completing products, I want to be able to understand the particular commitments and requests of both our company and the rights holders, and reach common ground where both sides can think, "We couldn't have made a better product."

I want to be able to deliver to fans appealing products shaped by the ideas and input of various people, bringing everyone’s ideas together into a single product.

Please give a message to those who are job hunting or considering applying to Bushiroad.

Bushiroad has an environment that supports young people in taking on challenges.

If you feel like "I want to try this!", please take the initiative and try what you want to do. Especially while you are a student, if there is anything you are even slightly interested in, do not overthink whether you can do it before you start— take that first step!

A Day's Schedule