Blue Planet-works Changes Company Name to "AppGuard" - Actor Kohtaro Koizumi Appointed as "Cyber Defense Partner" from April 1 (Wednesday)
Blue Planet-works rebrands to "AppGuard" and appoints actor Kohtaro Koizumi as "Cyber Defense Partner" from April 1, 2026, launching a major advertising campaign.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 16:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 04:38 (371h 50m after Collected)
Blue Planet-works Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Hirotaka Sakajiri) changed its company name to "AppGuard Co., Ltd." as of April 1, 2026 (Wednesday).
Concurrently, actor Kohtaro Koizumi has been appointed as a "Cyber Defense Partner," and the corporate website design has been revamped. Furthermore, on the same day, a full-page advertisement was placed in the Nikkei (morning edition, national version) to raise awareness of the company name change and its status as a domestic cybersecurity brand.
Corporate Website: https://www.appguard.co.jp/
Our company has, until now, developed its business around "AppGuard," a core technology that fortifies the OS to prevent the intrusion of unknown cyber attacks. By unifying the product name and company name, we aim to enhance brand recognition both domestically and internationally and streamline marketing efforts.
The full-page advertisement in the Nikkei features the message "Domestic cybersecurity that doesn't 'activate' even if breached," announcing the company name change along with its track record of implementation for over 22,000 customers across various industries and scales.
Additionally, the newly launched corporate website clearly introduces our products along with our mission and vision.
■ Kohtaro Koizumi Appointed as "Cyber Defense Partner"
As cyber attacks become more sophisticated, the importance of security measures for businesses is increasing. However, due to the impression that it is "specialized and difficult," there is a current situation where it is not fully understood or adopted.
In this context, actor Kohtaro Koizumi has been appointed as a "Cyber Defense Partner." Mr. Koizumi has garnered support from a wide range of audiences through his image of sincerity and trustworthiness, and this stance has a high affinity with our brand image of "delivering peace of mind."
Through this appointment, we aim to make cybersecurity more accessible and contribute to raising cyber defense awareness among businesses.
■ Newspaper Advertisement Overview
Publication: Nikkei (National Edition, Morning)
Publication Date: April 1, 2026 (Wednesday)
■ Kohtaro Koizumi Profile
Born in 1978, 47 years old.
Active as a regular MC in dramas and variety shows.
[Main appearances]
2026/03 BS-TBS "Psychoanalyst Himuro Sosuke's Case Files 3 ~The Darkness of the Charismatic Cram School Director... The Past of a Falling Employee and the Mystery of Serial Murders~"
2026/02 CX "Imada Kohtaro"
2026/01 EX "New Year's Dream Battle 2026 Noritake Kinashi's Sports KING!"
2025/12 AX "Hiromi Solves! Hachioji Rehome New Year's Eve SP"
2025/12 TX "World! Craftsman Wagon ★ Japanese Skills to Repair World Heritage Sites & Fire Stations & Schools Without Classrooms!"
2025/10 TBS Sunday Theater "The Royal Family"
2025/09 CX "Kohtaro Koizumi & Tsuyoshi Muro: Free and Easy Two-Person Trip" (2-week consecutive broadcast)
2025/04 EX "Platinum Family: Peeking into a Splendid Family" MC
2025/04 TX Drama 9 "Missing Persons Search Team: The Vanished Truth"
■ AppGuard Co., Ltd. Overview
Company Name: AppGuard Co., Ltd. (formerly: Blue Planet-works Co., Ltd.)
Location: Toranomon 33 Mori Building 2F, 3-8-21 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001
Established: April 2017
Capital: 8.7 billion JPY (as of January 2026)
Representatives: Kakuto Katachi, Representative Director and Chairman / Hirotaka Sakajiri, Representative Director and President
Group Companies: AppGuard Japan Co., Ltd. (Domestic Business Management)
AppGuard, Inc. (R&D, Sales in Europe and US)
Business Activities: Development and sales of cybersecurity products applying "AppGuard" technology and provision of related services.
Official Website: https://www.appguard.co.jp/
Our purpose is "Delivering ANSHIN (peace of mind) to the world through the power of technology and intelligence." We are a domestic global cybersecurity company that provides products and services based on the innovative "AppGuard" technology, which "fortifies" the OS to prevent cyber attacks from succeeding. Our mission is to deliver "true intelligent cyber defense to all people and things," with technology developed for US government agencies at its core.
Concurrently, actor Kohtaro Koizumi has been appointed as a "Cyber Defense Partner," and the corporate website design has been revamped. Furthermore, on the same day, a full-page advertisement was placed in the Nikkei (morning edition, national version) to raise awareness of the company name change and its status as a domestic cybersecurity brand.
Corporate Website: https://www.appguard.co.jp/
Our company has, until now, developed its business around "AppGuard," a core technology that fortifies the OS to prevent the intrusion of unknown cyber attacks. By unifying the product name and company name, we aim to enhance brand recognition both domestically and internationally and streamline marketing efforts.
The full-page advertisement in the Nikkei features the message "Domestic cybersecurity that doesn't 'activate' even if breached," announcing the company name change along with its track record of implementation for over 22,000 customers across various industries and scales.
Additionally, the newly launched corporate website clearly introduces our products along with our mission and vision.
■ Kohtaro Koizumi Appointed as "Cyber Defense Partner"
As cyber attacks become more sophisticated, the importance of security measures for businesses is increasing. However, due to the impression that it is "specialized and difficult," there is a current situation where it is not fully understood or adopted.
In this context, actor Kohtaro Koizumi has been appointed as a "Cyber Defense Partner." Mr. Koizumi has garnered support from a wide range of audiences through his image of sincerity and trustworthiness, and this stance has a high affinity with our brand image of "delivering peace of mind."
Through this appointment, we aim to make cybersecurity more accessible and contribute to raising cyber defense awareness among businesses.
■ Newspaper Advertisement Overview
Publication: Nikkei (National Edition, Morning)
Publication Date: April 1, 2026 (Wednesday)
■ Kohtaro Koizumi Profile
Born in 1978, 47 years old.
Active as a regular MC in dramas and variety shows.
[Main appearances]
2026/03 BS-TBS "Psychoanalyst Himuro Sosuke's Case Files 3 ~The Darkness of the Charismatic Cram School Director... The Past of a Falling Employee and the Mystery of Serial Murders~"
2026/02 CX "Imada Kohtaro"
2026/01 EX "New Year's Dream Battle 2026 Noritake Kinashi's Sports KING!"
2025/12 AX "Hiromi Solves! Hachioji Rehome New Year's Eve SP"
2025/12 TX "World! Craftsman Wagon ★ Japanese Skills to Repair World Heritage Sites & Fire Stations & Schools Without Classrooms!"
2025/10 TBS Sunday Theater "The Royal Family"
2025/09 CX "Kohtaro Koizumi & Tsuyoshi Muro: Free and Easy Two-Person Trip" (2-week consecutive broadcast)
2025/04 EX "Platinum Family: Peeking into a Splendid Family" MC
2025/04 TX Drama 9 "Missing Persons Search Team: The Vanished Truth"
■ AppGuard Co., Ltd. Overview
Company Name: AppGuard Co., Ltd. (formerly: Blue Planet-works Co., Ltd.)
Location: Toranomon 33 Mori Building 2F, 3-8-21 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001
Established: April 2017
Capital: 8.7 billion JPY (as of January 2026)
Representatives: Kakuto Katachi, Representative Director and Chairman / Hirotaka Sakajiri, Representative Director and President
Group Companies: AppGuard Japan Co., Ltd. (Domestic Business Management)
AppGuard, Inc. (R&D, Sales in Europe and US)
Business Activities: Development and sales of cybersecurity products applying "AppGuard" technology and provision of related services.
Official Website: https://www.appguard.co.jp/
Our purpose is "Delivering ANSHIN (peace of mind) to the world through the power of technology and intelligence." We are a domestic global cybersecurity company that provides products and services based on the innovative "AppGuard" technology, which "fortifies" the OS to prevent cyber attacks from succeeding. Our mission is to deliver "true intelligent cyber defense to all people and things," with technology developed for US government agencies at its core.
FAQ
Why did Blue Planet-works change its company name?
To unify the product name "AppGuard" with the company name, aiming to enhance brand recognition both domestically and internationally, and to streamline marketing efforts.
What is the purpose of Kohtaro Koizumi's appointment as "Cyber Defense Partner"?
To demystify the specialized and complex image of cybersecurity, make it more accessible, and contribute to raising cyber defense awareness among businesses.
When and where was the newspaper advertisement published?
A full-page advertisement was published in the Nikkei (national morning edition) on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.