* Listed in Japanese phonetic order

Born in 1958, Akimoto is a lyricist from Tokyo Prefecture.
He started working as a television scriptwriter while still in high school and went on to work on numerous television programs, including The Best Ten. As a lyricist, he has written many hit songs, including “Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni”, performed by Hibari Misora, and “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie” by AKB48.
He has written the lyrics for more than 5,000 songs, and as of the end of 2025, singles featuring his lyrics had achieved cumulative sales of more than 189 million copies, according to Oricon. The film Chakushin Ari, which he produced based on his novel of the same name, received a Hollywood remake and was released in the United States as One Missed Call in 2008.
The 2021 television drama Shinhannin Flag, which he conceived and produced, generated widespread discussion on social media, with related posts topping Twitter's trending topics.
He is currently producing the male idol group Cloud ten, a joint project with Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and Tokyo Dome Corporation. The group will debut at its dedicated theater, which is set to open in summer 2026.
In April 2022, he was awarded the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from the government of Japan.

Born in 1954, Kuma is an architect from Kanagawa Prefecture. He founded Kengo Kuma & Associates in 1990. After serving as a professor at Keio University and the University of Tokyo, he is now a University Professor and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and a member of the Japan Art Academy. His projects are currently underway in more than 50 countries, and his work proposes new forms of architecture that open up new relationships among nature, technology, and people. His many publications include Kengo Kuma: Onomatopoeia Architecture Grounding (X-Knowledge), Japanese Architecture (Iwanami Shinsho), Kengo Kuma: Complete Works (Daiwa Shobo), Point, Line, Plane (Iwanami Shoten), Architecture of Defeat (Iwanami Shoten), Natural Architecture (Iwanami Shinsho), and Small Architecture (Iwanami Shinsho).

Born in 1937, Koshino is a fashion designer and artist from Osaka.
While studying at Bunka Fashion College, she won first prize in the Japan Designers Association Design Competition. In 1964, she opened a haute couture atelier in Osaka's Shinsaibashi district. Since 1977, she has participated continuously in the Tokyo Collection, and in 1978 became the first Japanese designer to present a collection at Alta Moda in Rome. She has since presented collections in Paris, Shanghai, and other cities in Japan and abroad, establishing herself as one of Japan's leading fashion designers.
In addition to developing brands including HIROKO KOSHINO, she has actively pursued collaborations with artists from a wide range of fields while also engaging in cultural initiatives.
In recent years, she has expanded her work as an artist, creating paintings and calligraphy. Her exhibitions include the Hiroko Koshino Exhibition at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art in 2021 and (UN)KNOWN HIROKO KOSHINO at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in 2026. Grounded in a deep appreciation for Japanese aesthetics and traditional culture, she continues to explore a diverse range of artistic expression.
Her honors include the 15th Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix (1997) and the Osaka Arts Award (2001).

Born in 1965, Sato is a creative director from Tokyo.
After graduating from the Department of Graphic Design at Tama Art University and working at Hakuhodo Inc., he founded the creative studio SAMURAI in 2000. As a total producer of brand strategy, he is highly regarded for his integrated approach, applying powerful creativity across every stage of a project, from concept development and communication planning to visual development, spatial design, and design consulting.
His major projects include logo designs for The National Art Center, Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra; creative direction for brands including UNIQLO, Rakuten Group, Seven-Eleven Japan, and Imabari Towel; and total production for Fuji Kindergarten and the Cup Noodles Museum.
In recent years, he has also been involved in several large architectural projects, including corporate facilities and factories. He was appointed a Japan Cultural Envoy by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in FY2016. His many awards in Japan and abroad include the Tokyo ADC Grand Prix, the Yusaku Kamekura Design Award, the Mainichi Design Award, and D&AD Awards. His publications include the book Kashiwa Sato’s Ultimate Method for Reaching the Essentials.

Born in 1962, Harada is an author from Tokyo Prefecture. After graduating from the Department of Japanese Literature in the School of Humanities at Kwansei Gakuin University and the Department of Art History in the School of Literature II at Waseda University, she worked at Itochu Corporation and the preparatory office for the Mori Art Museum, which included a secondment to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In 2005, she made her literary debut, winning the inaugural Japan Love Story Award for Waiting for Good News. She received the 25th Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize for Canvas of Paradise in 2012, the 36th Jirō Nitta Literary Award for Master Leach in 2017, and the 52nd Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature for MUNAKATA : Beyond Van Gogh in 2024.