Company Overview

Naota Yanagihara is a veteran international entrepreneur and human resources specialist with over 20 years of global business experience. Born and raised in Japan, Naota earned a degree in international anthropology in the United States and subsequently completed a graduate program in media production.

Early in his career, he engaged in international trade, including the import and export of goods and services to Japan, successfully guiding multiple international startups. This led to the establishment of a labor union operating vocational training schools in Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia. He possesses extensive hands-on experience in labor relations, worker support, and navigating various immigration procedures and bureaucratic processes across Asia.

Currently, Naota serves as Founder and CEO of HURE Japan, connecting companies across Asia with talented individuals. Leveraging his deep understanding of the international labor market, corporate culture, and compliance, he supports corporate growth through the sourcing of qualified international talent.

Naota is passionate about ethical recruitment, cross-cultural collaboration, and empowering people through opportunity. Fluent in Japanese and English, he is an avid golfer in his spare time.

Paul J. Gaspari, Chief Marketing Officer

Paul J. Gaspari is an experienced international trade and higher education expert based in Japan. Before transitioning to academia, Paul was an award-winning international trade consultant for the U.S. government, advising U.S. companies on global market entry strategies and cross-border business development. His achievements were nationally recognized for contributing to export expansion and international partnerships.

Currently based in Japan, he serves as a university administrator specializing in international programs, focusing on building global partnerships, supporting exchange programs, and advancing campus-wide internationalization strategies. In addition to his administrative role, he is an award-winning adjunct professor in the business field at a leading Japanese university, teaching courses on global business and communication strategy.

His research focuses on international entrepreneurship, particularly methods for overcoming challenges faced by startups and SMEs in new markets. As a strong advocate for cross-cultural collaboration, he combines his government, academic, and business experience to cultivate the next generation of global leaders through HURE Japan Group.

He is fluent in English (native), Japanese, and Italian. He is a coffee addict.