Yuta Oka

• Location: Nihonbashi
• Role: CEO
• Field: GOOD SOIL株式会社

I was born in Okayama and grew up between Connecticut and Tokyo. Experiencing diversity—and the layered local cultures across Japan—made me want a career that lets me keep traveling and learning from places. After graduating from Waseda University (School of Political Science and Economics), I worked on real estate and hotel-brand investments at Starwood Capital in Tokyo and San Francisco. I later set up independently in Singapore, advising hotel brands on investment strategy and corporate planning. In 2019 I committed full-time to building Staple. With bases in Setoda, Hiroshima, and Nihonbashi, Tokyo, I focus on planning, developing, and operating places and neighborhoods with a vision that isn’t centered on a single metropolis. When I’m off the clock, I’m snowboarding, playing basketball, or enjoying a good drink. I love the mountains. I like the sea too—but I can’t really swim.