A large part of his decision, he attributes to his age:

To put it in context, I turn 56-years-old this year. I feel like I have 10 to 15 years left creatively before I reach my limit. In order to not miss my chance, I will step down from my position of CEO. I’m determined to focus on music production and new technology projects.

He goes on to reveal that his decision was also inspired by the broadcast of the drama M: Ai Subeki Hito ga Ite, a fictionalized take on his relationship with Ayumi Hamasaki in the early days of her career. He writes:

To put it simply, I hope it is understandable that I would like to return to the person who I was that is shown in the drama ‘M: Ai Subeki Hito ga Ite’, which is currently being broadcast.

Matsuura continues:

I still have a lot more to learn in my lifetime. While reflecting on my career, I’ve carefully emphasized the phrase ‘work is play, play is work’ as my personal ethos (*It’s the name of his weekly radio show). I want to hand down this ‘Avex gene’ to the next generation. I will strive to work on and cultivate the younger generation.

Avex’s upcoming shareholder meeting will be held on June 26, where Katsumi Kuroiwa, current Avex COO, will step into role of CEO. Matsuura will remain with Avex as a chairman and Representative Director, just shifting his focus towards back to the creative side.

(via Nikkan Sports)

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