This article traces the career of Watanabe Nobuki (渡辺展希), a Ritsumeikan University graduate who oversees Osaka IR as an executive officer at ORIX, as well as his struggles during his investment banking years and his achievements, including the investment in 大京. It also introduces the background to Osaka IR’s opening plans and organizational management.
Watanabe Nobuki (渡辺展希) attended middle and high school in Osaka before enrolling in the College of Social Sciences at Ritsumeikan University. He led an ordinary student life, including buying a car with money earned from part-time work. With support from the university’s career center, he began his career in sales at a major securities firm.
His career took a turning point when he moved to ORIX in August 2001. As a mid-career graduate hire, he was assigned to the investment banking division and joined a team that handled everything from acquisitions of companies with the firm’s own funds and value enhancement to sales. As he promoted a succession of new investment projects, he built a track record that included joint investments with Japanese private equity funds as well as unsuccessful deals.
The investment in 大京 totaled more than ¥100 billion. He was seconded to the company, where he carried out a group reorganization and cost-cutting measures. After a demanding period of working late into the night, he is now advancing plans to open Osaka IR in autumn 2030. Attendance is projected to reach approximately 20 million visitors in the third year after opening, with overseas visitors expected to account for about 30%.
Watanabe Nobuki (渡辺展希), who also serves as representative director and chair of MGM Osaka, the operator of Osaka IR, applies the humility and experience he gained early in his career to developing his staff and places importance on assessing whether reports are well-founded.
With the cooperation of Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, the project aims to become one of the largest in the world and is expected to create approximately 15,000 jobs.