Prime Video has named Keisuke Oishi as its new country manager for Japan, effective Jan. 20. The veteran Amazon executive, who most recently served as director and general manager of Amazon Music Japan, will report to Gaurav Gandhi, VP of Prime Video Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. He replaces Kodama Takashi.
Oishi brings a decade of Amazon experience to the role, having joined the company in 2014 after a stint at Sony Corporation. The Hitotsubashi University alum has climbed the ranks at Amazon Japan, holding key positions including head of the software and video game division and director of the entertainment media division, where he oversaw the company’s packaged media business across multiple entertainment verticals.
The appointment comes as the streaming giant continues to gain momentum in the Japanese market, where it has established itself as a go-to destination for local content. Beyond its core SVOD offering, Prime Video Japan has expanded into add-on subscription services and boasts one of Japan’s most extensive TVOD libraries. The platform has also made significant inroads in live sports streaming, featuring boxing and baseball events that have struck a chord with Japanese viewers. In the fast-growing Asian streaming market, Japan has the third fastest growth rate at 15%, according to a recent study by Media Partners Asia.
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In an internal communication to the Prime Video Asia Pacific team, Gandhi expressed optimism about the platform’s trajectory in Japan. “We’ve seen great success with our content and incredible customer growth for Prime Video in Japan over the last few years thanks to all your great work, creativity, and relentless focus on the customer,” he wrote, adding that he remains “super excited” about the service’s plans and initiatives for 2025.
In 2024, Prime Video dropped original productions in Southeast Asia. Japan and India remained unscathed. “There is no change in our investment focus in our other APAC territories including Japan and India,” Gandhi had said in a note to staff then.
Prime Video recently set a February global premiere for “Broken Rage,” the latest feature from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano.