Even though Japan is one of the home of anime and there is never any shortage of anime on TV and movie screens, it takes great creativity to consistently produce animations that entertains from generation to generation.

In an interview with The Japan Times Online, Masanori Koga, the CEO of TMS Entertainment Ltd., shared the secret of success in the entertainment business: personal satisfaction. "If you are not having fun, your staff is not going to have fun, and there's no way your audience is going to enjoy it." He cheerfully adds that he never had a moment when he wanted to quit work. "For me, my company is like a friend,'' which always helps him stay positive.

Koga was born in 1947 in Saga Prefecture. After graduating from Fukuoka University where he majored in law, he began his career at Sega Enterprises Ltd. (now Sega Corporation). His first task was to sell and place games and jukeboxes at entertainment spots such as cafes, clubs and bars. He enjoyed finding new places he'd never been before where he could introduce his products. He looks back at that time and remembers that while he wasn't skilled at negotiating, his straightforward, easy-to-understand explanations and candor brought him more success than a slick sales pitch. He recalls that it was such a joy to hear the words of gratitude from the customers who used his products.

Since that time, he has always been passionate about the products he sells. In November 2005, after working for the parent company, Sega, for 26 years, he moved to TMS Entertainment and in 2005, he became the CEO of this company, which has been behind the animated versions of such classics as ''Anpanman,'' ''Lupin Sansei (Lupin the 3rd)'' and ''Meitantei Conan (Detective Conan).''

How would you define the corporate strength of TMS Entertainment Ltd.?
Since 1960, we have created over 7,000 half-hour programs, and the profits from our second- and third-use copyrights are very high. This includes things such as the sales of DVDs and anime-related merchandise. This high profitability is definitely one of our greatest strengths.

The fact that we have two different business models is also a great strength. One is B2B, which is our anime planning and production; and the other is B2C, which is our amusement-center operations, where children and young adults can have a good time.

Many of TMS' characters have been popular for a long time.
Yes, animation of true quality is appreciated from generation to generation. Young mothers can show their children what they used to watch when they were little kids. They know that their kids can learn while having fun or that they encourage children to have goals. It can be a bonding experience if mothers and children watch our animation together.

What are the main reasons that your animated programs are so popular overseas?
One is the storylines. It's never simply an action-oriented animation that fascinates you only once but doesn't bear repeat viewings. Our animation is rich in content and messages.

Also, our usage of color is superior. As you can see in traditional art such as ukiyoe, Japanese have a very original sense of color. I believe that we are preserving that tradition of creating beautiful pictures.

Why are you aiming to expand your market overseas?
Sales in the animation world are not always so stable. A story such as "Anpanman" is great, but if it doesn't catch on, we can barely break even on the production costs, so that's why it is so important to have many long sellers to stabilize our business. Domestically, we are doing well. We have quite a few best sellers, but if we can duplicate this success overseas, it will greatly stabilize our sales, and it will have a large impact on our profits. By having a stable overseas market, we can avoid the ups and downs of the domestic animation business.

You are already exporting your movies to over 140 broadcasting companies in 100 countries around the world. What is your expansion strategy from here on out?
Currently, we are distributing our existing products to those countries, but in our three- to four-year business plan, we'd like to start projects targeted at certain areas overseas, such as the United States or Europe, which will begin from the planning stage and produce original characters aimed at those markets. Similarly, up until now, we have done most of our production within Japan, but from now on, we will be thinking of producing in other countries as well.

You are increasing your staff in Paris and Los Angeles?
Yes. We are increasing our channels of distribution and ramping up our marketing. We will bolster the numbers of our Japanese staff at each office and we're considering local hires as well.

You obviously have a strongly motivated team. What kind of things do you do to promote growth in the company?
Good creators aren't born from merely spending a lot of money all at once. It takes time. But rather than talent or skills, I want them emphasize their goals, vision and dreams. Technical skills develop over time and from learning from more skilled staff, but by having goals and dreams, people learn and grow faster. That's why the desire for improvement, which is slightly different from ambition, is so important.

How do you make sure that your messages are conveyed to your staff?
I have spent a lot of time communicating with my staff ever since I was a young manager. It takes time, but it does work. I talk with them about their families and their plans for the future. I usually point out two good things about each employee (laughs), then say, "If you improve in such and such area, you'd be even greater."

In meetings, I try not to attack an individual. I don't even talk about the numbers too much. I might say, "Hey, this month you guys didn't meet the target," and show the numbers, but that's it. I believe that numbers are the result of action, so it is much more important to discuss what went wrong in the previous steps.

This might be a little old-fashioned, but I think of my employees as my family, and that attitude has made it much easier for me to lead. Even when I am stern with them, everyone knows it's a form of tough love. This kind of trust comes with time, and mostly because I love and enjoy my job.