1 source May 26
Former Line Yahoo Chairman Kentaro Kawabe Publishes First Book on Internet History
Former LINE Yahoo Representative Director and Chairman Kentaro Kawabe is releasing his first book, '7 Great Upheavals: A 30-Year History of the 'Internet Industry' Where Dubious Characters Took Center Stage.'
Reporting from 1 source: ASCII.jp.
Why it matters
Kawabe, a central figure in Japan's internet industry from the early days of Yahoo to the LINE Yahoo merger, is publishing a personal account that treats the internet's chaotic history as a foundation for understanding the next wave of AI disruption.
Key Facts
- Pre-orders for the book opened on May 26 through Toyo Keizai Inc.
- The book covers seven areas of change in Japan's internet industry over 30 years: search, social media, video, e-commerce, advertising, culture, and entrepreneurship.
- Kawabe founded Dennoutai in 1995 while a student, joined Yahoo in 2000, and later became Yahoo CEO in 2018 and LINE Yahoo Chairman in 2023.
- The book frames the internet's 30-year history as a prologue to the AI era, questioning whether AI will follow a similar pattern of chaos and normalization.
Pre-orders began May 26 through Toyo Keizai Inc., with a June 24 release date and a price of 1,980 yen. The book covers seven areas of change in Japan's internet industry over 30 years and frames that history as a prologue to the coming AI era.
Kentaro Kawabe, the former Representative Director and Chairman of LINE Yahoo, is publishing his first book. Titled '7 Great Upheavals: A 30-Year History of the 'Internet Industry' Where Dubious Characters Took Center Stage,' it goes on sale June 24 for 1,980 yen. Pre-orders opened May 26 through Toyo Keizai Inc.
The book traces seven transformations in Japan's internet sector: search, social media, video, e-commerce, advertising, culture, and entrepreneurship. Kawabe, who founded Dennoutai in 1995 while a student at Aoyama Gakuin University and joined Yahoo in 2000, later led Yahoo! Mobile, Yahoo! News, and GYAO before becoming Yahoo CEO in 2018 and LINE Yahoo Chairman in 2023. The book is not a straightforward memoir but treats the internet's 30-year run as a prologue to the AI era, asking whether AI will follow the same pattern of chaos and eventual normalization.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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