COMPANY

• ●Although born in Setagaya, Tokyo, he grew up playing around Matsumoto Castle and Asama Hot Springs in his childhood and Korakuen Amusement Park (now Tokyo Dome City) as a student.
• ●He majored in forestry at the University of Tokyo. He has visited more than 100 youth hostels and forests throughout Japan, from Rebun Island to Yaku Island.
• ●After working for a general trading company, he was inspired by the marketing studies of Professor Philip Kotler and obtained an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. After that, he moved to New York and spent six years in the leisure industry, gaining experience in hotels, golf courses, and other facilities that attract leisure customers.
• ●After returning to Japan, he moved to Universal Studios Japan. He contributed to the opening preparations, the grand opening, measures for repeat visitors, and the introduction of the Spiderman attraction as an executive in the planning department and marketing division.
• ●After that, he was impressed by the KidZania business model from Mexico and participated in the opening of KidZania Tokyo, the first overseas expansion, and made a contribution as the head of the Sponsorship division that managed more than 50 corporate sponsors. Then, he held various senior management positions at leisure facilities.
• ●In May 2016, with a determination to master his craft, he founded Elder Tanaka & Associates, Inc. with Norman Elder, who has been involved in establishing leisure facilities and attracting customers worldwide since participating in the launch of Tokyo Disneyland. He continues to provide consulting services specializing in opening theme parks and leisure facilities and strategies to attract customers. He has deep knowledge of theme parks worldwide, including supporting the opening of LEGOLAND Japan. He is also passionate about promoting Japanese content, such as ninja, to the world.
• ※Member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), Academic Member of the Japanese Association for Consumer Studies, Member of International Ninja Research Association (Ninja name: Toraemon)

With a diverse track record in the global theme park industry, Norman Elder brought expertise and world experience to the company.
He was experienced in bringing together visitor attractions and corporate "partners" via creative win-win programs that went beyond mere sponsorship, with a track record totaling over $1 billion USD (approximately ¥115 billion JPY).
In Japan, he was the first head of marketing for TDL, the first marketing supervisor for USJ, and the head of corporate partnerships for the opening of LEGOLAND Japan. He also worked in China, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, and Dubai, and he was instrumental in the corporate partnership projects of the massive Dubai Parks, which opened in 2016, and Universal Studios Beijing, which opened in 2021.
We will continue to develop a new era of guest attraction and partnership models while inheriting his legacy and accumulated knowledge.