Vistar Media expands operations in Japan with dedicated local team and full OOH technology stack

Vistar Media is expanding its operations in Japan, establishing a dedicated local team to support media owners, advertisers, agencies and partners across the country.

The expansion represents a significant investment in Japan, which Vistar describes as one of the world's most advanced out-of-home advertising markets. The company will bring its full suite of OOH technology solutions to the market as it strengthens its broader APAC presence.

Japan's highly developed transit media ecosystem, premium digital inventory and strong adoption of media and advertising technology make the country a strategic market for Vistar's international growth.

Bringing programmatic OOH technology to Japan

Vistar's expansion will introduce its broader technology stack to Japanese customers and media owners.

The offering includes a dedicated digital OOH demand-side platform, supply-side platform, ad server, player, device management system and traditional OOH planning software. Together, the solutions are designed to connect different parts of the OOH ecosystem and support more data-driven buying, selling and management of media inventory.

The move comes as digital out-of-home and programmatic advertising continue to develop as important components of modern media strategies.

Building a dedicated local team

As part of the expansion, Vistar Media has established a dedicated team in Japan to work directly with local advertisers, agencies, media owners and other partners.

The company sees local expertise as an important part of bringing its global technology and marketplace capabilities into a market with its own established media infrastructure and operating dynamics.

The Japan operation will also support Vistar's efforts to expand partnerships across the country's OOH ecosystem.

Yosuke Maekawa appointed Country Manager

Vistar Media has appointed Yosuke Maekawa as Country Manager for Japan.

Maekawa brings more than two decades of experience across digital media, advertising technology and business development. His previous leadership experience includes roles at Amazon, Expedia Group, PubMatic and comScore.

In his new role, he will oversee Vistar's growth strategy and operations in Japan as the company builds its local presence and develops relationships across the market.

Maekawa said Japan's sophisticated OOH environment presents a significant opportunity for continued programmatic growth and highlighted the opportunity to bring Vistar's technology and global marketplace to advertisers and media owners across the country.

Expanding media owner partnerships

Vistar has also appointed Akinori Inoue as Supply Partnerships Manager for Japan.

Inoue will focus on expanding Vistar's relationships with publishers and media owners across the Japanese market.

The appointment is particularly important to Vistar's expansion strategy because building a strong supply-side network is central to creating greater scale for programmatic OOH transactions.

Together, the local leadership appointments give Vistar dedicated capabilities across market operations and supply partnerships as it establishes its presence in Japan.

Strengthening Vistar's APAC strategy

Japan becomes another strategic component of Vistar's international expansion as the company operates across more than 35 global markets.

The company's broader platform connects advertisers and media owners across digital and traditional OOH environments, with capabilities spanning programmatic buying, supply management, ad serving, media players, device management and planning.

Vistar's expansion also aligns with the wider strategy of T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, which includes Vistar Media as part of its broader advertising technology portfolio.

A new phase for Japan's OOH market

Vistar Media's entry into the Japanese market comes as advertisers increasingly look for more measurable, data-driven approaches to OOH advertising.

By combining local market expertise with its established technology platform and global marketplace, the company aims to support the continued development of programmatic and digital OOH across Japan.

The expansion gives Vistar a dedicated presence in a sophisticated advertising market while creating new opportunities for media owners, agencies and brands to participate in the evolution of programmatic OOH.

About Vistar Media

Vistar Media is a global technology company focused on out-of-home advertising. Its platform supports the buying and selling of OOH media across digital and traditional environments, with solutions including a demand-side platform, supply-side platform, ad server, player, device management system and traditional OOH planning software. Vistar Media is headquartered in New York, operates across more than 35 global markets and is part of T-Mobile Advertising Solutions.