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Yoshiyuki Takayama
Chairman of the Board, Marble Corporation

A graduate of Keio University’s Faculty of Economics, Yoshiyuki Takayama later completed a degree in Computer Information Science at San Francisco State University. He has held executive roles across TCS Holdings and its affiliated companies, including Tokyo Computer Service (now Marble Corporation), and served as President and CEO of multiple group companies. As of October 2024, he serves as Chairman of the Board at Marble Corporation.

TCS Holdings Co., Ltd. was founded and expanded by Yoshiyuki Takayama’s father, Nobutaka Takayama, who built the company from the ground up and managed it privately until his passing. Yoshiyuki has inherited much from his predecessor and is now exploring the family’s future by establishing a family office.

A family office is an organization designed to help a family thrive across generations—not only by managing tangible assets, but also by preserving values, purpose, and other intangible legacies. As part of this effort, Mr. Takayama carries out philanthropic initiatives such as the “TCS Scholarship Foundation.” We spoke with him about this vision and work.

“We didn’t start out with a family office in mind—it was a natural evolution.”

Yoshiyuki Takayama inherited both the business and values of his father, Masanori Takayama, the founder of TCS Holdings. Until his passing eight years ago, Masanori managed the company as a wholly private enterprise. Upon his sudden passing, Yoshiyuki and his siblings assumed full responsibility for the company—an intense and turbulent transition.

As Yoshiyuki took leadership, he began to question whether centralizing all assets under a single capital structure was truly sustainable. This led him to pursue structural transformation, eventually partnering with a private equity fund. The result brought much-needed liquidity to previously illiquid, family-held assets.
“But we weren’t ready to retire,” he recalls. “That liquidity brought a responsibility—what do we build for the future of our family and society?”
That reflection gave rise to the family office—not from a master plan, but as a natural step toward stewardship. “We needed a new vehicle to reframe our inherited assets, including philanthropy, and pass them on in a meaningful way.”

“We’re trying to create value that outlives us—and keeps our family united.”

Initially focused on business operations, Takayama soon realized that sustaining family identity over generations would take more than asset management. “Founders are driven by conviction. But for the second and third generations, those founding ideals can fade. If future family members only prioritize financial efficiency, decision-making weakens—and our identity as the Takayama family might fade with it.”

To anchor future generations, the family needed shared purpose—and philanthropy offered a unifying thread. “We believe that to be worthy heirs, we must contribute something of value back to society,” he says.
Still, the path forward isn’t fixed. “We don’t have a detailed roadmap yet. But any philanthropic activity must feel right for the family. That’s what we’re working on now.”

“Our goal is talent development—but we must reevaluate our methods.”

Established in 2020, the TCS Scholarship Foundation supports talented students with financial need. Each year, it awards 600,000 yen in scholarships to 30 university and graduate students. The program aligns with the company’s founding mission: “to build the future of the information society and contribute to global welfare.”

（TCS Scholarship Foundation）

The initiative honors Yoshiyuki’s late father, who had long considered launching a student support program. “It’s a tribute to his values—and potentially a way to build goodwill among future technologists,” he notes.

Yet challenges remain. With a high number of applicants, the program has become fiercely competitive. “We’ve seen excellent students apply, but our selection process often favors academic researchers, which isn’t always aligned with our goal of supporting future engineers.”

Takayama is also concerned about applicant morale. “Some students put in great effort only to be rejected. We need to consider how to support and engage those we can’t fund.”

“We’re still defining what philanthropy means for our family.”

Looking ahead, Takayama sees the need to clarify internal frameworks. “Everyone in the family has their own perspective. As the person overseeing the broader structure, my priority is balance.”

He cites two examples: his mother leads an initiative supporting Japan’s mingei (folk crafts), while his brother manages the scholarship foundation. Each project has its own challenges, and the family is still experimenting with how best to align these activities under one philanthropic vision.

“To that end, we’ve started monthly discussions around my mother’s philanthropic work,” he says. “These are great opportunities to align values and reach consensus.”

Still early in the learning process, Takayama is eager to learn from others. “I’m deeply curious about how other philanthropists operate. Hearing their experiences will help shape our future.”

translated from Japanese into English by AI