Founder's Message

I'm Ogawa, representative of MAISEND.

How it started

My grandfather was an audio enthusiast, and from an early age his house was always surrounded by speakers. My father was also into cameras and music as hobbies, and I grew up deeply influenced by that. I also spent part of my childhood living abroad, where I realized that film and music can reach people's hearts even when words don't. A commercial I saw at the time left a strong impression on me, and I started thinking, "Someday I want to make films and music myself." That's the origin of my interest in filmmaking.

In middle school, I was hospitalized and out of school for a while due to illness. Spending time in the in-hospital classroom, I saw firsthand how children's experiences could become limited in that environment, which sparked my interest in education. Around the same time, I felt the possibilities of creating digital content, and got involved in things like YouTube video distribution, live streaming, game development, and building a sense of belonging within game spaces.

Feeling that music is a crucial element within film, I started composing in high school. Right around the time the pandemic limited school festivals, I got a drone flight permit and worked on projects using drones to form human formations, as well as designing and running an online school festival.

I enrolled in the special needs education program at the University of Yamanashi's Faculty of Education, decided to turn video production into a real business, and founded MAISEND in my first year of university. These experiences from high school onward gave me the push I needed.

What I believe in filmmaking

Through my experience living abroad, I felt firsthand how film and music can move people even when words don't reach them. Even looking at the same scene, what each person sees is entirely different, shaped by their own experience and background. That realization is the starting point of my expression.

Precisely because anyone can shoot video today, and AI can generate it, I want to hold on to expression only we can create. There is value that can't be delivered simply, because it can be made so easily. That difference is what we pursue.

Work that reaches people's senses deeply, through sight and sound. Video that makes people glad they watched it. That's what we'll keep making.

Looking ahead

Even in an age when AI can generate video and music, I believe what truly moves people is the intention and experience behind the work. I'll keep pursuing expression that carries someone's real experience and philosophy within it.

I want to take MAISEND, which started in Yamanashi, to the rest of Japan and overseas. Alongside video production, we'll keep taking on new forms of expression and new ventures — VR/metaverse, AI, and education among them.

MAISEND Inc.
Takuto Ogawa, Representative Director / CEO