Yasuharu Kakihara

Yasuharu Kakihara is a director and adviser, and the former Chairman of the Board at Koei Tecmo. Before the merger of Tecmo and Koei, Kakihara was the Chairman of the Board at Tecmo in 2007, and succeeded Yoshimi Yasuda as CEO on September 1, 2008. When Tecmo merged with Koei, forming Koei Tecmo, Kakihara became board chairman and served in that capacity until 2013. Kakihara is credited under special thanks in Metroid: Other M, and has overseen the development of Ninja Gaiden II, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, Undead Knights, Again and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.