Natsume opens new office

Natsume, the publisher of Harvest Moon, is opening a new office in Tokyo.

Yasutaka “Taka” Maekawa, formerly the overseer of several smartphone and tablet games for Taito, will take the reigns of the new studio, reports Siliconera

“The new Tokyo office, coupled with Taka’s experience, will strengthen Natsume’s ability to expand the business in the ever-growing smartphone and tablet games market,” said Graham Markay, Vice President of Operations at Natsume Inc.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Taka as part of the team and we know he will produce some truly entertaining games!”

For Maekawa, much of the excitement revolves around the opportunity to work on non-violent games like those he grew up with

“I am pleased to have an opportunity to work at Natsume Inc., and feel I have come full circle growing up playing Harvest Moon, Reel Fishing, and Pocky & Rocky and now developing the same kind of family-friendly, non-violent games I enjoyed as a child,” said Maekawa.

“This is an exciting time for Natsume Inc. and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”