I found out today, but to my own surprise, I am to be featured on the front cover of the February 13 edition of Forbes Asia magazine.

I haven't gotten hold of a copy yet, but I did confirm it on the Web site, so I thought I'd write a few words the way I see it. :-)

Along with Fortune magazine, Forbes magazine is one of the most authoritative magazines in the world, and you hardly see a Japanese person on the cover of a magazine like this.

So making the front cover of Forbes—even if it was the Asia edition—can only be an occasion of sheer joy as a Japanese person.

I had begun receiving greater overseas recognition than ever before for my efforts to establish a graduate program from scratch and manage venture capital funds that generate high returns.

On the other hand, in Japan, it's far easier to step into the limelight through things like owning a baseball team, buying a TV company or even running for political office.

I'd like to see this as a great opportunity for helping folks overseas realize there are people in Japan who are steadily, diligently, moving forward one step at a time.

February 5, 2006
At home
Yoshito Hori