Quick Facts
Biography
Tatsumi "Tom" Yoda (依田 巽, Yoda Tatsumi, born May 27, 1940) is a Japanese businessperson.
Profile
Born May 27, 1940 in Chikuma, Nagano-ken, Tatsumi (nicknamed Tom) finished high school at Nagano HS in 1959 and Business Administration at Meiji University in 1963.
In 1969, he became Sansui Electric's director until 1988, the year he founded TY Limited (then Thomas Yoda Limited).
Still in 1988, Yoda, with Max Matsuura and Kazunari "Ken" Suzuki, founded Avex Group, one of Japan's biggest names in music and entertainment.
In 1999, he joined Gaga Communications as a director.
Due to a feud with Matsuura over unknown circumstances, Yoda resigned as Avex's chairman in 2004, but reappointed as honorary chairman until 2005.
As of now, he has his own entertainment company called TY Entertainment.
Other Institutions Served
Aside from Avex and Sansui:
- Osada Electric (1969)
- International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (2000 – 2004)
- Japan/China Year 2002
- Cabinet Secretariat of Japan (2002 – 2007)
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (2003)
- Japan/Korea Friendship Year 2005
- The Foundation for Promotion of Music, Industry and Culture (2001 – 2006)
- The Japan-China Exchange Year of Culture and Sports 2007
- Rakuten Inc. (2003 – 2011)