COLLECTORS UNIVERSE JAPAN, Japanese Subsidiary of Trading Card Authentication and Grading Service "PSA," Announces Appointment of New Representative Executive Officer and President
COLLECTORS UNIVERSE JAPAN, the Japanese subsidiary of the trading card authentication and grading service "PSA," announced the appointment of Hiroshi Asaeda as its new Representative Executive Officer and President, effective April 1, 2026. Asaeda, with extensive experience in IT and startups, will drive the healthy development of the trading card market and the penetration of grading culture.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 21:00
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COLLECTORS UNIVERSE JAPAN LLC (Headquarters: Ota-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "Collectors Universe Japan"), which provides trading card authentication and grading services "PSA," announced that Hiroshi Asaeda (Asaeda Hiroshi) has been appointed as Representative Executive Officer and President, effective April 1, 2026.
■ Name and brief biography of the newly appointed Representative Executive Officer and President
Name: Hiroshi Asaeda
Former position: General Manager
New position: General Manager, Representative Executive Officer and President
Date of appointment: April 1, 2026
Today's Japanese trading card market has been built through the tireless efforts of IP holders and manufacturers who create original content, collectors and players who have passionately nurtured the culture for many years, and retailers who support the market on the front lines of distribution.
As a result, the current industry is experiencing unprecedented vibrancy, and as the market expands and the value of collections is re-recognized both domestically and internationally, the importance of objectively proving the "authenticity" and "condition" of precious works and culture has never been higher. The surge in demand for authentication and grading is evidence that Japan's trading card culture has transitioned to a more advanced and reliability-demanding mature phase.
To elevate this momentum from a temporary trend to a sustainable industry for future generations, the urgent tasks are to establish a "supply system" capable of meeting this rapidly increasing social demand and to further "penetrate the grading culture in the Japanese market."
In this transitional period, our company will shift to a new system with Asaeda, who has extensive experience in the IT and startup fields and global business knowledge, at the helm of management. By powerfully promoting operational optimization and digital transformation, we will accelerate the penetration of grading culture. We will support the market's foundation of trust from the perspective of authentication and grading, contributing to the healthy development of the Japanese market.
■ Name and brief biography of the newly appointed Representative Executive Officer and President
Name: Hiroshi Asaeda
Former position: General Manager
New position: General Manager, Representative Executive Officer and President
Date of appointment: April 1, 2026
■ Hiroshi Asaeda Profile
Bilingual entrepreneur, startup founder, and translator raised in the U.S., specially appointed associate professor at Digital Hollywood University. In 2006, he established Meltingdots Inc., a virtual world consulting company, and as its representative director, he was involved in operating Japan's largest metaverse community, collaborating with major corporations, and supporting overseas companies' entry into the Japanese market.
In 2012, he founded the music startup Beatrobo Inc. and served as CEO. Subsequently, after working at a U.S. startup studio, Mirrativ, and Mercari, he was appointed General Manager of Collectors Universe Japan in 2024.
His publications include "Web Virtual World 'Second Life' - New Continent of Net Business" (ASCII), and he has translated Japanese versions of books such as Ben Horowitz's "What You Do Is Who You Are" and Elad Gil's "High Growth Handbook."
Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University, Faculty of Business Administration, and holds a Master's degree in Digital Content Management from Digital Hollywood University Graduate School.
■ Inaugural Address
"For a more enjoyable, safe, and secure collector culture"
I am Hiroshi Asaeda, who has been appointed as General Manager, Representative Executive Officer and President of Collectors Universe Japan.
In recent years, the global trading card market has experienced rapid growth, and the enthusiasm of Japanese collectors, in particular, is unparalleled worldwide. Since establishing a domestic grading facility in 2023, our service PSA has contributed to the healthy development of this market by providing reliable authentication and grading services.
Leveraging my experience from the startup and technology industries, my childhood passion for collecting sports cards, and my current role as a TCG player, I will devote all my efforts to optimizing operations, utilizing digital technology, and improving customer experience. I aim to build a trusted infrastructure with strong supply capacity and transparency. I believe this is the path to preserving the value of the wonderful works and culture that all stakeholders have built together, and to perpetuating an environment where those involved in collecting can enjoy themselves with peace of mind, safety, and trust.
As a sincere partner supporting your collection life, our company will strive to provide customers with faster and more comfortable service experiences. We will disseminate Japanese collector culture to the world and further develop the entire industry.
■ Name and brief biography of the newly appointed Representative Executive Officer and President
Name: Hiroshi Asaeda
Former position: General Manager
New position: General Manager, Representative Executive Officer and President
Date of appointment: April 1, 2026
Today's Japanese trading card market has been built through the tireless efforts of IP holders and manufacturers who create original content, collectors and players who have passionately nurtured the culture for many years, and retailers who support the market on the front lines of distribution.
As a result, the current industry is experiencing unprecedented vibrancy, and as the market expands and the value of collections is re-recognized both domestically and internationally, the importance of objectively proving the "authenticity" and "condition" of precious works and culture has never been higher. The surge in demand for authentication and grading is evidence that Japan's trading card culture has transitioned to a more advanced and reliability-demanding mature phase.
To elevate this momentum from a temporary trend to a sustainable industry for future generations, the urgent tasks are to establish a "supply system" capable of meeting this rapidly increasing social demand and to further "penetrate the grading culture in the Japanese market."
In this transitional period, our company will shift to a new system with Asaeda, who has extensive experience in the IT and startup fields and global business knowledge, at the helm of management. By powerfully promoting operational optimization and digital transformation, we will accelerate the penetration of grading culture. We will support the market's foundation of trust from the perspective of authentication and grading, contributing to the healthy development of the Japanese market.
■ Name and brief biography of the newly appointed Representative Executive Officer and President
Name: Hiroshi Asaeda
Former position: General Manager
New position: General Manager, Representative Executive Officer and President
Date of appointment: April 1, 2026
■ Hiroshi Asaeda Profile
Bilingual entrepreneur, startup founder, and translator raised in the U.S., specially appointed associate professor at Digital Hollywood University. In 2006, he established Meltingdots Inc., a virtual world consulting company, and as its representative director, he was involved in operating Japan's largest metaverse community, collaborating with major corporations, and supporting overseas companies' entry into the Japanese market.
In 2012, he founded the music startup Beatrobo Inc. and served as CEO. Subsequently, after working at a U.S. startup studio, Mirrativ, and Mercari, he was appointed General Manager of Collectors Universe Japan in 2024.
His publications include "Web Virtual World 'Second Life' - New Continent of Net Business" (ASCII), and he has translated Japanese versions of books such as Ben Horowitz's "What You Do Is Who You Are" and Elad Gil's "High Growth Handbook."
Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University, Faculty of Business Administration, and holds a Master's degree in Digital Content Management from Digital Hollywood University Graduate School.
■ Inaugural Address
"For a more enjoyable, safe, and secure collector culture"
I am Hiroshi Asaeda, who has been appointed as General Manager, Representative Executive Officer and President of Collectors Universe Japan.
In recent years, the global trading card market has experienced rapid growth, and the enthusiasm of Japanese collectors, in particular, is unparalleled worldwide. Since establishing a domestic grading facility in 2023, our service PSA has contributed to the healthy development of this market by providing reliable authentication and grading services.
Leveraging my experience from the startup and technology industries, my childhood passion for collecting sports cards, and my current role as a TCG player, I will devote all my efforts to optimizing operations, utilizing digital technology, and improving customer experience. I aim to build a trusted infrastructure with strong supply capacity and transparency. I believe this is the path to preserving the value of the wonderful works and culture that all stakeholders have built together, and to perpetuating an environment where those involved in collecting can enjoy themselves with peace of mind, safety, and trust.
As a sincere partner supporting your collection life, our company will strive to provide customers with faster and more comfortable service experiences. We will disseminate Japanese collector culture to the world and further develop the entire industry.