[Event Report] Former Professional Baseball Player Yoshio Itoi & Former Speed Skating Gold Medalist Nana Takagi Take the Stage!

KOTONA Inc. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; Representative: Akihisa Yamazaki), an advertising agency specializing in "Desarketing"—a fusion of design and marketing to convey the value of companies and brands—exhibited at "Japan Sports Week 2026," held from April 15 (Wed) to 17 (Fri), 2026. ■ Many visitors gathered daily at the distinctive "American Circus" booth KOTONA's booth this time created a tent-like space with striking red and white stripes, themed "CIRCUS." Its unique design, embodying our desire to make advertising "free and exciting," caught the eyes of many business professionals visiting the venue, resulting in a vibrant three days with a continuous flow of visitors from opening to closing. ■ April 16 (Thu): Crowds gathered for a "superhuman" public consultation by Yoshio Itoi On the 16th, Yoshio Itoi, Special Advisor to KOTONOS Holdings, took the stage. He conducted a public consultation titled "The Person Who Returns Your Promotion." Even before the stage began, many fans and business professionals gathered around the booth to catch a glimpse of Mr. Itoi. When the stage started, crowds surrounded the booth several layers deep, creating such excitement that even the aisles were filled with energy. During the public consultation, a project that our sales department and Mr. Itoi are collaborating on was also mentioned. In particular, when the case of "Asahipen-sama," where Mr. Itoi participated as a special advisor from the initial stages of sales, was introduced, it garnered significant interest from the audience. He sincerely and humorously answered questions from consultants, looking them in the eye. Many visitors listened intently to his words, not just as a guest, but as a partner who moves business forward together. Furthermore, even after the talk show ended, Mr. Itoi remained at the booth and joined individual business meetings. He demonstrated a professional attitude, listening to the business challenges of visitors on the front lines, overwhelming the venue with both his charm as an athlete and his credibility as a businessman. ■ April 17 (Fri): Discussing "Athlete Co-creation" as a Business Strategy with Nana Takagi On the final day, the 17th (Fri), former speed skating gold medalist Nana Takagi took the stage. Together with our representative, Mr. Yamazaki, she discussed the core of elevating athlete endorsement from mere image advertising to a "business strategy." During the talk, Ms. Takagi, from the perspective of a former athlete, mentioned the difficulty for athletes to find sponsors and the harsh reality that athlete support can be a kind of "gamble" for companies. She then passionately articulated the true value of employing athletes, stating, "Athletes are prepared to give 100% effort to repay the companies that have sponsored them." Through the example of their initiative with the CBD skincare brand "CANNA," a compelling proposal was made regarding the significance of "co-creation," where athletes and companies pursue the same goals. ◆ About KOTONA Inc. KOTONA Inc. is a comprehensive advertising agency that develops advertising, PR, design, and digital strategies based on the philosophy of "bringing happiness and innovation to society through ideas and creativity born from a joyful spirit." Headquartered in JP Tower Osaka, the company specializes in sports and beauty, supporting companies and brands in solving their challenges through the power of community-based advertising. https://kotona-pr.com/ [Contact for this release] KOTONA Inc. Public Relations Office Contact: Miki Nonogami TEL: 070-5465-8088 MAIL: koho@kotona-pr.com