Discovering tomorrow
through Sports Communication
About
masatakaya Inc. is a Sports Communication company
founded and led by strategic-communications specialists
Our purpose is “Discovering Tomorrow through Sports Communication.” Sport gives companies and organisations a compelling public voice – one that can inspire positive change across society. By harnessing that voice, we build lasting relationships between our clients and their stakeholders and drive sustainable growth.
Services
We support corporate and organisational growth through Sports Communication
Since our founding in the summer of 2024, we have helped a diverse roster of clients – including international sports governing bodies, national sports federations, top‐tier Japanese professional sports leagues, sponsor brands, consulting firms, and advertising agencies – build stronger relationships with their stakeholders by harnessing Sports Communication.
Our work rests on three core pillars:
1. Sports Communication in Japan
We advise and work alongside Japanese sports organisations, leagues, teams, events, and sponsor companies. As the domestic sports ecosystem grows ever more complex, sophisticated messaging and reputation management are essential. We provide the strategic and hands-on support needed to achieve business goals and safeguard reputations.
2. Sports Communication to Japan
For global companies and organisations entering the Japanese market, we serve as the best partner for engaging fans and local stakeholders through sports. Our deep understanding of Japan’s culture and the intricate structure of its sports industry enables Sports Communication that drives success in Japan.
3. Sports Communication from Japan
When Japanese companies expand overseas, sport is a powerful bridge to new stakeholders. Effective Communication, however, must be tailored to each region’s culture and market conditions. Drawing on team members versed in the international sports landscape and a network of consultants experienced in global events, we craft and deliver region-specific Sports Communication strategies that accelerate growth abroad.
When I was a teenager, I dreamed of the Olympic Games. In my mid-twenties I spent day after day asking how an ordinary person like me could work on sport’s grandest stage. I met with countless people, tried out different career ideas, and kept tweaking my plans as I went. About twenty years ago – leveraging the skills I had gained at an advertising agency – I decided to become an expert in Sports Communication.
Sports Communication has literally opened every door in my life. It has allowed me to work alongside elite athletes, visit sporting arenas around the world, connect with global media, and learn the business and politics of sport while gaining lifelong colleagues. I cannot imagine who I would be without this profession.
In the summer of 2024 I founded masatakaya Inc. – my answer to what I could contribute in the post-Tokyo 2020 era. Japan’s sports sector has no shortage of business and marketing specialists, yet true experts in Sports Communication remain rare. Many organisations possess the valuable assets of sport and athletes, yet struggle to convey their full worth. My goal is to help close that gap with the communication skills I have developed over the years.
On our first anniversary we set the purpose “Discovering Tomorrow through Sports Communication.” Through the power of Sports Communication, we will continue to support the sustainable growth of companies and organisations everywhere.
Masa Takaya｜Founder and CEO
Masa Takaya has two decades of experience in PR and communications and is the Founder and CEO of masatakaya Inc., established on 1 July 2024.
Takaya worked for the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) as Communications Director at the beginning and later became Spokesperson. Working closely with President, CEO and other senior roles, he managed the organising committee’s communications with a particular focus on media communications for the entire Games lifecycle.
Despite a challenging circumstance under the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee successfully delivered the first-ever postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Takaya's outstanding achievement includes to win the right to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the 125th IOC Session in 2013. During the Tokyo's two-year bid, he served as Acting Communications Director, managing all international communications including presentations to the Members of the International Olympic Committee.
Based on his dual background in public relations and marketing communications, he was previously with the International Triathlon Union (currently known as World Triathlon), the Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee, and the Organising Committee for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, in each of which he acted as press officer.
From 2001 to 2006, he worked for the global advertising agency McCann Erickson Japan, where he managed advertising campaigns for major brands such as Tokyo Disneyland, Maxell and Japan Airlines as an account supervisor.
He received a master's degree in public relations from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and earned a bachelor’s degree in law at Keio University. An accomplished athlete, Takaya participated in the ITU World Duathlon Championships in Calais, France in 2000.
