Thank you, everyone, deeply for your interest in my writings about the comics/manga industry.
As I have mentioned before, after an incident that occurred around Christmas last year,
I withdrew from many things in my life and spent a period in seclusion.
I was heartbroken by the suffering that cartoonists and artists endure.
However, the warm words of a great senior mangaka and many other people encouraged me to stand up again and keep moving forward.
At that point, I decided that for the next three months I would dedicate myself to one goal:
"Let's work for the future of comics around the world."
During those three months, I worked on many different projects and initiatives.
Those efforts extended not only across Japan and Korea, but also from Africa to North America.
I wanted to give something—however small—to people who love manga.
A gift with a simple message written on it:
"Someone believes in you. Someone believes in your potential."
The first article in my comics industry series was written on the final day of those three months.
I couldn't sleep that night, so I simply sat down and wrote.
Although the post received a great deal of support on X, I honestly expected that to be the end of it.
But then something surprising happened.
The response came not only from readers, but also from people in government, the media, and the comics industry itself.
For years, I had worked hard on YouTube without seeing that kind of reaction.
Yet a post written for X in the early hours of the morning generated exactly that response.
To me, those reactions—from government, industry, and the press—were the very gift I had hoped to give all of you.
That is why, despite being busy, I decided to continue writing a little more about the comics industry.
And so I wrote several more essays.
My approach is simple.
I write each topic from beginning to end in a single sitting.
Then my friend, Steve slowly translate and we post it one by one.
The essay on globalization, for example, was originally written on May 14.
I simply divided it into sections and posted it over ten days.
The essay on piracy manga that I am currently posting was actually completed on May 2.
I have been translating and publishing it over the course of eight days.
When you finish reading these essays, I believe you will realize a few things.
You will realize that Steve and I were already confronting these questions decades ago.
That we spent many years thinking about them, researching them, and searching for answers.
And perhaps most importantly, that we have always cared deeply about everyone who loves comics.
You will come to understand that.
Neither Steve nor I are extraordinary people.
We are deeply imperfect.
Our lives have been filled with mistakes, regrets, and countless moments of uncertainty.
Even today, we are still searching for answers.
We have not found an answer that satisfies everyone.
What we are searching for is simply an answer that can help everyone.
And of this, I am certain.
We have never stopped trying.
Thank you very much!
@TheDkmariolink Logo is green; Teaser got classic movie vibes; Iconic green paintjob gotta be 1970's Sublime for Dodge/Mopar;
what are the chances that P6 is going to be a homage to Dodge?
for the return of glory days to american muscle with Challenger SRT Hellcat release in 2015
I’d like to share that I’ll be leaving Bandai Namco at the end of 2025.
With the TEKKEN series reaching its 30th anniversary—an important milestone for a project I’ve devoted much of my life to—I felt this was the most fitting moment to bring one chapter to a close.
My roots lie in the days when I supported small local tournaments in Japanese arcades and in small halls and community centers overseas.
I still remember carrying arcade cabinets by myself, encouraging people to “Please try TEKKEN,” and directly facing the players right in front of me.
The conversations and atmosphere we shared in those places became the core of who I am as a developer and game creator.
Even as the times changed, those experiences have remained at the center of my identity.
And even after the tournament scene grew much larger, many of you continued to treat me like an old friend—challenging me at venues, inviting me out for drinks at bars.
Those memories are also deeply precious to me.
In recent years, I experienced the loss of several close friends in my personal life, and in my professional life I witnessed the retirement or passing of many senior colleagues whom I deeply respect.
Those accumulated events made me reflect on the “time I have left as a creator.”
During that period, I sought advice from Ken Kutaragi—whom I respect as though he were another father—and received invaluable encouragement and guidance.
His words quietly supported me in making this decision.
Over the past four to five years, I’ve gradually handed over all of my responsibilities, as well as the stories and worldbuilding I oversaw, to the team, bringing me to the present day.
Looking back, I was fortunate to work on an extraordinary variety of projects—VR titles (such as Summer Lesson), Pokkén Tournament, the SoulCalibur series, and many others, both inside and outside the company.
Each project was full of new discoveries and learning, and every one of them became an irreplaceable experience for me.
To everyone who has supported me, to communities around the world, and to all the colleagues who have walked alongside me for so many years, I offer my deepest gratitude.
I’ll share more about my next steps at a later date.
Thank you very much for everything.
【Postscript】
Although I will be leaving the company at the end of 2025, Bandai Namco has asked me to appear at the TWT Finals at the end of January 2026, so I expect to attend as a guest.
For 30 years I kept saying, “I’ll do it someday,” and never once performed as a DJ at a tournament event.
So instead, I will be releasing—for the first and last time—a 60-minute TEKKEN DJ-style nonstop mix (DJ mix), personally edited by myself, together with this announcement.
Listening to it brings back many memories.
Thank you again, sincerely, for all these years.
‘TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada’s Final Mix’ by Katsuhiro Harada 1 is on #SoundCloud https://t.co/PUFOWt3R6M
December 8, 2025 - The Final Day of TEKKEN’s 30th Anniversary -
Katsuhiro Harada
[日本語版 (Japanese version)]
このたび、2025年末をもちまして、私はバンダイナムコを退職することにいたしました。
長く携わってきた『鉄拳』シリーズが30周年という大きな節目を迎え、ひとつの区切りとして最もふさわしい時期であると考えたためです。
私の原点は、日本のゲームセンターや、海外コミュニティの小さな講堂やコミュニティセンターで、まだ小規模なトーナメントをサポートしていた時代にあります。
アーケード筐体を自ら運び込み、「鉄拳もぜひ遊んでみてほしい」と声をかけながら、目の前の参加者と向き合った日々。
あの場で交わした言葉や空気が、私という開発者の核を形作りました。
時代が変化しても、あの経験が自分の中心にあります。
そしてトーナメントシーンが大きく成長した後も、皆さんは旧知の友人のように私に声をかけ、会場で対戦したり、バーで『一緒に飲もう』と誘ってくれました。
それらもまた、大切な思い出です。
ここ数年間、私生活においては友人達との死別があり、仕事においては、私が尊敬する多くの先輩方の引退や逝去に触れてきました。
そうした出来事の積み重ねが、私に『開発者として残された時間』について考える契機を与えました。
その過程で、私がもう一人の父親のように敬愛する久夛良木健さんにも相談し、貴重な助言と励ましのお言葉をいただきました。
この言葉もまた、今回の決断を静かに後押しするものとなりました。
そして、この4〜5年をかけて私の担ってきたすべての業務やストーリーや世界観、そして責務をチームに段階的に引き継ぎ、今日に至ります。
振り返れば、VR作品(サマーレッスンなど)や『ポッ拳』、ソウルキャリバーシリーズをはじめ、自社他社問わず数多くのプロジェクトに携わる機会に恵まれました。
いずれのプロジェクトも新しい発見と学びに満ち、かけがえのない経験となりました。
これまで支えてくださった皆様、世界中のコミュニティの皆様、そして長年ともに歩んできた仲間たちに深く感謝申し上げます。
次の歩みについては、改めて皆様にお伝えいたします。
これからも、どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
+あとがき
2025年末をもって退職致しますが、2026年1月末のTWT FINALには顔を出してほしいと会社からお願いされていることもあり、FINALにはゲストとして顔を出すと思います。
これまで30年間『いつかやるよ』と言い続けてやってこなかったトーナメントイベントでのDJですが、その代わりとして“最初で最後のDJ風60分ノンストップ鉄拳ミックス(私による初編集DJ mix)”も、今回のポストに合わせて公開します。
‘TEKKEN: A 30-Year Journey – Harada’s Final Mix’ by Katsuhiro Harada 1 is on #SoundCloud https://t.co/PUFOWt3R6M
様々な思い出が蘇ります。改めて皆さんありがとうございました。
2025年12月8日 - 鉄拳30周年最終日 -
Katsuhiro Harada
@ooseo@hololive_OCG_EN because cards with damages can be easily seen through clear sleeves.
it's to prevent some cheaters from trying to use these "natural markings from regular play" to find cards easily
same reason, as to why sleeves with damaged corners cannot be used in legal tournament play
@Harada_TEKKEN Maybe something within the games industry,
i was surprised that game testing was a senior position for experienced staff in Japan; in my home country Singapore, game testing was more of an entry-level position 👀