Soichiro Fukutake

Who is Soichiro Fukutake?

Soichiro Fukutake Soichiro Fukutake is the eldest son of Tetsuhiko Fukutake, the founder of Fukutake Publishing Co., Ltd.. Born in Okayama Prefecture, Soichiro Fukutake graduated from the School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University. After working for Nissei Sangyo Co., Ltd., he joined Fukutake Publishing in 1973.

In 1986, the sudden death of his father, the president of Fukutake Publishing at that time, brought Fukutake from the Tokyo office to the Okayama headquarters. In the beginning, he was at a loss about the drastic changes in his living environment, but in a few months he came to feel really happy about not living in Tokyo. In the meantime, he gradually began to see Tokyo as a city lacking humanity as there is little that is historical or natural in Tokyo. His return to his hometown Okayama influenced him so much that he changed the name of the company to “Benesse” a few years later.

As part of Benesse Corporation’s activities to support arts and culture, he opened the Benesse House Museum, which was designed by the architect Tadao Ando in 1992. In 2004, Fukutake used his own money to establish the Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum Foundation, which assisted with the openings of the Chichu Art Museum in 2004 and the Lee Ufan Museum in 2010. This series of Benesse Art Site Naoshima projects has caused Naoshima to be recognized inside and outside Japan as a contemporary art mecca, leading to the Setouchi International Art Festival 2010. In October 2012, he consolidated four public utility foundations into the Fukutake Foundation and the Fukutake Education and Culture Foundation. He is president of both foundations.