The emergence of broadcasting and packaged media such as tapes and discs took place in the 20th century. Sony, founded in 1946, grew as a company that developed products based on broadcasting and usage of packaged media, such as transistor radios, Walkman, and CDs. However, as we entered the 21st century, Sony began to face challenges from new types of medium: the Internet. In 2005, when I became the President of Sony Communication Network, an internet service provider, I changed the company name to So—net Entertainment. I had a desire to become independent from Sony, coupled with the assumption that the 21st century would be an era of entertainment, with networks serving as the primary medium for delivering entertainment. I believe this assumption was not incorrect, yet I have been sensing changes in the entertainment itself.

Entertainment has always been born from live performances, ranging from sports in the ancient Olympics to music and theater. However, in the 20th century, media introduced the idea and value of 'anytime' access — which include broadcast recording, DVDs, and video—on—demand (VOD) services such as Netflix.

Recent changes represent a return to live experiences driven by technology. I first recognized this during a virtual concert of Travis Scott in April 2020, which simultaneously gathered 12 million people to the virtual space of the online game 'Fortnite.' Recently, the live performances of V—Tubers attract many viewers. The Sphere, a spherical arena in Las Vegas, can also be seen as a venue of technologically enhanced live event. Our company provides solutions for creating and distributing animations based on data of the players who have been sensed during NFL games in real time.

The live entertainment of the 21st century is a new form of live experience, realized through technological evolution, characterized by 'now, at that moment.' I call this 'real—time entertainment.' The foundational technologies for such entertainment are networks, computing, and sensing. I aspire to continue contributing to the evolution of entertainment through these technologies.