October 12, 2026
ASTRO GATE Inc. (Registered Office: Tokyo; President: Daisuke Ode; hereinafter “ASTRO GATE”) is pleased to announce that our Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Nakao, has been selected as a finalist in the Technology Category at the “Japan CxO Award 2026.” Category winners and the Grand Prix recipient will be announced at the award ceremony in Tokyo on November 16.
The “Japan CxO Award” honors corporate executives (CxOs) who drive business growth, aiming to highlight their accomplishments and expertise as executive role models for the next generation.
Inspired to “Shine a spotlight on the ‘Other Hero’*” , the award recognizes key operational and technical leaders working alongside CEOs across industries.
*Unofficial iteration from JapaneseJapan CxO Award 2026: Top Executives Selected from Over 200 Entries
This year, finalists were selected across six categories—Business, Technology, Human Resources, Management & Administration, Sales & Marketing, and Cross-Domain—for driving outstanding problem-solving and organizational impact.
Technology Category FinalistThis year, Nakao was selected as a “CxO leading technology, engineering, and digital transformation (DX)” in the Technology category.
We are deeply honored that Nakao’s technical leadership in supporting space infrastructure—from spaceport planning and development to operational support at ASTRO GATE—has received such high recognition.▶ Official Japan CxO Award 2026 Website
Judges (In random order)- Masatada Kobayashi — Group Managing Executive Officer Group CCuO (Chief Culture Officer), Rakuten Group, Inc.
- Minoru (Joe) Imano — Managing Partner, Globis Capital Partners
- Atsushi Nouchi — Representative Director, AT Capital
- Masaki Tabe — Senior Executive Officer and CRO, Raksul Inc. / CEO, Novasell Inc.
- Koichi Maruo — Representative Director and President, Major7th Inc. / Former Senior Managing Director, Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd.
- Daichi Hiroki — Director, Japan CTO Association
- Yuko Sasahara — President & CEO & CCO, NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc.
The judging panel—comprising seasoned leaders across management, business development, HR, technology, and venture capital—evaluate candidates comprehensively based on their achievements, leadership, decision-making, and broader societal impact.
Category top winners and the overall Grand Prix recipient will be announced at the Japan CxO Award 2026 Ceremony & Networking Conference below.Event Overview: Japan CxO Award 2026 Ceremony & Networking Conference
- Date & Time: Monday, November 16, 2026 | 13:00 – 17:00 JST
- Venue: Otemachi Sankei Plaza (1-7-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
For more details on the Japan CxO Award 2026 and registration for the ceremony, please refer to the official press release:
