Photo: Mark Vande Hei (see EXIF data) / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Okay, this guy operates on a completely different setting than the rest of us. Most founders cash out and buy a nice yacht; Yusaku Maezawa cashed out of ZOZO, the fashion empire he built from a mail-order CD catalog, and then literally booked himself onto a rocket. I genuinely respect that the same brain that figured out how to sell clothes online also looked at a fortune and went, "cool, let's go to the actual International Space Station." The billion-yen Twitter giveaways could read as a stunt, but paired with the contemporary art collecting and the supercar habit, it just reads as a man with zero interest in being boring. He started in a band on drums, ended up flipping a Ferrari around a track for fun — and somehow stays this warm, doting, generous big-brother type the whole time. Honestly, I'd love a peek at a life that allergic to the word "impossible."
Story
From a Used-CD Catalog to the Moon: The Restless Voyage of Yusaku Maezawa
Overview
Yusaku Maezawa (born November 22, 1975, in Kamigaya, Chiba) is a Japanese entrepreneur best known as the founder of ZOZOTOWN, Japan's largest fashion e-commerce platform, which he grew from a mail-order catalog business he started in 1995. He served as President and CEO of ZOZO, Inc. from 1998 until 2019, when the company came under the umbrella of LINE Yahoo. In December 2021, he became the first Japanese private citizen to stay aboard the International Space Station, spending approximately 12 days there. He is also a noted contemporary art collector, the founder of the Contemporary Art Foundation, and in 2024 he won the Shell Am class of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan series.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Yusaku Maezawa
- Name (Japanese)
- 前澤友作
- Reading
- まえざわゆうさく
- Born
- November 22, 1975 (age 50)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rabbit (卯)
- Origin
- Kamigaya, Chiba, Japan
- Blood type
- O
- Agency
- Start Today Co., Ltd. (President and CEO)
- Agency history
- ZOZO, Inc. — President and CEO (1998–2019)
- Active years
- 1998–present
- Occupation
- Entrepreneur / Business Executive / Racing Driver / Contemporary Art Collector
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Kamigaya Municipal Tobu Elementary School
- Junior high
- Kamigaya Municipal No. 2 Junior High School
- High school
- Waseda Jitsugyo High School
- University
- Did not attend university
- Debut
- Founded Start Today Co., Ltd. in 1998 and launched his entrepreneurial career; also made his major music debut the same year as drummer for the band Switch Style on BMG Japan.
Awards & achievements
- 2020 — Blue Ribbon Medal (Koniju Hosho), awarded multiple times (approximately 4–5) for large donations to multiple municipalities including Minamiboso City and Tateyama City
Timeline
- 1975Born on November 22 in Kamigaya, Chiba
- 1993Formed the band Switch Style (drums)
- 1995Began catalog mail-order sales of imported records and CDs
- 1998Founded Start Today Co., Ltd.; Switch Style made their major-label debut on BMG Japan
- 2000Suspended band activities to focus on business; moved catalog sales online and expanded into apparel
- 2004Launched the fashion e-commerce site ZOZOTOWN
- 2012Established the Contemporary Art Foundation and became its chairman
- 2018Announced the dearMoon lunar flyby project with SpaceX; renamed Start Today Co., Ltd. to ZOZO, Inc.
- 2019Stepped down as President and CEO of ZOZO following its acquisition by LINE Yahoo; re-established Start Today Co., Ltd.; distributed 100 million yen in New Year gifts on Twitter
- 2021Became the first Japanese private citizen to stay aboard the International Space Station, for approximately 12 days in December
- 2022Established the MZ Web3 Fund and MZDAO
- 2023Launched the racing team MAEZAWA RACING
- 2024Announced the cancellation of the dearMoon lunar flyby project; won the Shell Am class in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan series
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Previously divorced (no children with ex-wife)
- Children
- Three sons (with two women in common-law relationships, publicly acknowledged)
- Siblings
- One younger brother (was also a band member)
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Supercar collecting
- Golf
- Contemporary art collecting
- Racing
- Antique and classical art collecting
Specialties
- Drum performance
- Entrepreneurship and business management
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | ZOZOTOWN | Founder and former President and CEO | 2004 |
| Project | dearMoon (Lunar Flyby Project) | Initiator and passenger | 2018 |
| Space Mission | International Space Station (ISS) Stay | Private space traveler | 2021 |
| Foundation | Contemporary Art Foundation (公益財団法人現代芸術振興財団) | Chairman and founder | 2012 |
| Book | Kokumin So Kabunushi (Everyone a Shareholder) | Author | 2023 |
| Documentary | Boku ga Uchu ni Itta Wake (Why I Went to Space) | Subject (ISS voyage documentary) | 2023 |
| Album | METRONOME (Switch Style) | Drummer | 1998 |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Yusaku Maezawa born?
Born November 22, 1975 (age 50).
Where is Yusaku Maezawa from?
Yusaku Maezawa is from Kamigaya, Chiba, Japan.
What does Yusaku Maezawa do?
Yusaku Maezawa works as Entrepreneur, Business Executive, Racing Driver, Contemporary Art Collector.
What is Yusaku Maezawa's blood type?
O.
What agency is Yusaku Maezawa with?
Yusaku Maezawa is with Start Today Co., Ltd. (President and CEO).
How long has Yusaku Maezawa been active?
1998–present.
What is Yusaku Maezawa known for?
Notable works include ZOZOTOWN, dearMoon (Lunar Flyby Project), International Space Station (ISS) Stay.
Entrepreneur — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.