NOTA Inc.: Japanese Venture Firm Forays into U.S. Market

Isshu Rakusai
President and CEO, NOTA Inc.

As a software creator, Mr. Rakusai has developed some truly creative pieces. Kamicopi, scrapbooking software he developed while still enrolled in high school, is a fair representation of his work, and commercial versions are available for purchase with YMIRLINK Inc. and JustSystems Corporation. The software program NOTA, which happens to be the name of his company, enables users to collaborate and freely edit photos and images online, and is currently employed primarily by civic groups and elementary schools in Yokohama. Since 2005, Mr. Rakusai has been leading the NOTA Network, a development community comprised of approximately 50 individuals representing citizens, researchers, students and businesses.

BA, Doshisha University, Faculty of Law (Intellectual Property Rights)
MA, Keio University, Graduate School of Media and Governance
Selected consecutively in FY2002 and FY2003 as a participant in the Information-technology
Promotion Agency (IPA) Exploratory Software Project (MITOH)
FY 2003: recognized as a MITOH "Super Creator"

Q: What was the impetus behind NOTA?

Rakusai: While I was in high school, I was interested in developing freeware (free software without limits on copy or distribution) and, as a sophomore in college, I heard about IPA's MITOH project from a project manager (PM) working there at the time, and decided to apply for the program. I was adopted into the program and, like other participants, was provided with funds for development and assigned a PM. Though projects come with the condition of achieving results in one year's time, I was still at a loss for an idea at the three month and half-year benchmarks. I thrive on pressure, however, and tend to come up with my best ideas the further I'm backed into a corner. (laughs) I began designing websites for fun sometime around 1995, but discovered that the inherent difficulty limits the appeal to a select few. It was while thinking of a way to address this issue that I came up with the idea for NOTA.

Q: Can you tell us about the origin of the name "NOTA?"

Rakusai: I combined the Latin ending with the word "note."

Q: Tell us about your business in the States.

Rakusai: I develop and manage NOTA, a next-generation web service. By using NOTA software, users can manipulate photos, videos and text online without downloading special software, thus enabling them to design their own pages and communicate with others via the Web. In April of 2008, we began offering a free web service at http://notaland.com that provides users with the opportunity to test drive NOTA. I hope all of you will try it out for yourselves.

Q: What made you decide to foray into the U.S. market?

Rakusai: I was unhappy with the performance of Windows PCs. Coding (writing programs in programming language) for Windows-based software is complicated and makes it cumbersome for developers that must adjust settings and make upgrades every time Windows is upgraded. Despite this fact, the reality of the situation is that many engineers are forced to develop software with Windows. Wanting to demolish the status quo, I resolved to "overthrow Microsoft" and decided to pursue my business in the States. That's the real story. (laughs)

Q: Are there any advantages to starting a venture company in the States at the tender age of 25 without an employment history?

Rakusai: The U.S. is host to a multitude of successful student-run ventures and age has nothing to do with the equation. I don't have any experience working for a company, but I have "organizational experience" insofar that I have collaborated with various firms on development projects. More importantly, my youth makes me like a sponge that is ready to suck up any information or business advice that comes my way. I'd like to think this gives me somewhat of an advantage.

Q: What is most important to being a talented engineer?

Rakusai: I think "perseverance" says it all.

Q: Can you think of a time in which you showed perseverance?

Rakusai: Once I was working on some software when I realized that 24 hours had passed and that I was absolutely famished. (laughs) It's hard to think about anything besides coding once you get started. When you're editing code (text data from which software is created), for example, you start thinking "now this code is going to create a bug in the code I wrote earlier" and time flies by as you begin whizzing back and forth between code in your head. Writing code is similar to building a house. First you have to envision the overall image and then build little by little. To build a beautiful home takes time and coding is no different. That means you need perseverance.

Q: What kind of goals do you have?

Rakusai: I want software that I've developed to be used by people all over the world. I'm not trying to make software that does everything or borrow ideas based on popular technology from other companies to sell on the side. I believe that you need to zero in on a single technology to make money and make it useful to other people.

Q: What are some of your strengths?

Rakusai: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." I believe I readily adapt to new cultures, languages and people.

Q: It's a bit random, but if you had a super power, what would it be?

Rakusai: (after a 10-second pause) A body that doesn't need sleep.

Q: So you can write code without sleeping? (laughs)

Rakusai: Exactly! (laughs) I'm the type of person for which work equals fun. No matter how much time I have for work, I never feel like it's enough. There's lots of competition in Silicon Valley, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of some friendly rivalry.

(Editor: Michiru Lackey)