Born in 1942 in Tokyo, Japan. After earning a bachelor’s degree in art/art history at Kyoto University’s Department of Literature, he went on to do research in its graduate school for 3 years.
He founded a predecessor of the current WAO Corporation in Osaka in 1976. Its stock was listed on JASDAQ in 1988. Under his motto: "In order to change today's Japan, we need to reform the base of Japanese education system," he developed WAO Corporation into a nationwide general educational service provider.
Since his school days his interests have ranged from philosophy to pop culture with a correspondingly broad social scope.
His personal philosophy is summed up in the Japanese phrase Jitomyo, or ‘self reliance.’

He founded an animation production company WAO World Co., Ltd. in 2000. He started the activity as a movie director writing the screenplay himself. He aimed at making films which were able to be enjoyed by parents and children and filled with the message to enrich the mind. The first theatrical animation feature movie “NITABOH, the Shamisen Master” was released in 2004. WAO Asagaya Building, which equipped professional facilities of the animation production, was established in Suginami, Tokyo, and the second movie “Japan, Our Homeland (Furusato-JAPAN)” was completed in 2006.
Both films got high evaluation by the overseas film festivals.

His third work “Symphony in August －Shibuya 2002 to 2003” will open the nationwide road show in August, 2009. Moreover, a documentary film which is the first live action work is also progressing favorably.

Please contact Director Akio Nishizawa by e-mail regarding coverage request, screening request, support message and so on.

E-mail：movie@wao-corp.com