Takato Nakagawa<\/strong> We define ourselves as a “professional firm” rather than a “consulting firm,” and have three major strengths. The first is our performance-based model \u2014 we build a fair relationship by sharing risk with clients. The second is end-to-end support \u2014 we don’t just engage at the strategy level, but accompany clients through into execution support. The scope is also broad, including urban development in collaboration with licensed architects. The third is our challenge of building our own businesses \u2014 we continuously take on the challenge of business development ourselves to address social issues, and also focus on operating the talent matching platform “Yoake,” which launched in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We operate under the vision of “accompanying the challenges of individuals and companies to change the world.” We run a variety of businesses including a platform connecting professional talent with companies, consulting, and proprietary product development \u2014 but at present the consulting business carries the largest weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our consulting business does not stay within the typical bounds of an “external advisor.” Rather than simply drawing up a strategy that looks good on paper, we get on the same boat as our clients, accompany them all the way through execution in a gritty, hands-on way, and commit to results. Each of us as autonomous professionals supports the challenges our clients face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to the challenges companies face, we don’t insist on consulting as the means. Rather than using established consulting methods, we accompany clients as a business entity ourselves. Through our business, we aim to change the consulting business model itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Yoake” \u2014 the platform that connects professional talent with companies \u2014 is a matching business that introduces professional talent best suited to each company’s challenges. Beyond simply introducing highly skilled and specialized people to companies, it also consistently supports freelance and side-job professionals with opportunities for work, skill development, and employee benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our proprietary product development, on the other hand, is something that has evolved further from consulting. The background thinking is that by elevating means for solving challenges identified through consulting work into actual businesses, we can expand the domains we can support \u2014 and accompany clients in their challenges even more closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 80% of our projects involve upstream work \u2014 specifically, we most often handle things like formulating business strategies and growth strategies, or handling organizational reform from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond that, after solidifying the strategy in upstream work, we also support the execution of that strategy through our own resources. Depending on the strategy, we form teams in areas such as IT and marketing to ensure the strategy is reliably advanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We currently have 52 members (as of January 2026), and including those scheduled to join imminently, the scale will exceed 60. Among those joining, there are also new graduate employees. Ballista is currently putting effort into both mid-career and new graduate hiring. Not many startups actively hire new graduates, but the reason we take on new, inexperienced employees is our belief that “developing people itself is connected to building a company that changes society.” This thinking is fundamental to Ballista’s corporate philosophy, and we are serious about development as well as hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. We actively hire people without prior experience as well, and want to become a company that can maximize the potential of each individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In hiring, we don’t let academic background or career history define our decisions \u2014 we prioritize each person’s potential and desire to grow. We have members with unusual backgrounds, and that is one of the unique characteristics we believe sets us apart from other consulting firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have an internally developed education program of over 500 pages, created to develop first-rate consultants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even without prior experience, anyone who has openness, dreams, and the strength to see things through can dramatically increase their market value within a few years. We are working to build an environment where people with diverse backgrounds and their own personal axes can thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every six months, we hold a “Promotion Awards” event to celebrate colleagues’ promotions. Job levels range from Junior Analyst through Director, and it is not uncommon for members to advance a rank in just six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also have a coaching system in which every single member is paired with a dedicated career support person at Manager level or above. Managers serving as coaches receive coaching training, and we place great emphasis on commitment to development. We have also introduced an incentive system that reflects each person’s contribution to the company in their compensation \u2014 ensuring that effort is fairly rewarded. At the same time, a certain level of professional rigor is maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three main things. The first is people with dreams \u2014 people who believe in their own potential and aspire to become a certain kind of professional in the future. The second is people who can see things through to the end. Those who can commit and stay the course gritty and determined will grow. The third, which connects to the second, is people with “last-man spirit” \u2014 a sense of responsibility for never passing the buck, and for being accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I enrolled in the Aerospace Engineering department at the National Defense Academy out of a desire to “protect this country.” But as I studied national security, I began to feel the limits of hard power \u2014 military force. In that context, visiting Iwo Jima made me think about how to pass on the prosperity of this country that those before us risked their lives to protect. Seeing figures like Takafumi Horie in action at the time, I resonated with the idea that “the economic power of business is what changes society,” and made the decision to leave the Self-Defense Forces for the private sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the startup I joined I was working in digital marketing, but I received harsh feedback from an executive at a large corporate client. I painfully realized that to move people, consulting capabilities \u2014 structuring ability, logical thinking \u2014 are indispensable. That led me to conduct a job search and begin the path of consulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My career has had many twists and turns, but through all those experiences, the idea crystallized that “experience \u00d7 track record \u00d7 responsibility = market value.” In my case, things were far from comfortable in the early startup days, but when I became a manager at a major consulting firm and was entrusted with a role of real responsibility, the scope of my work and the recognition I received changed dramatically. I came to feel with conviction that by accumulating the experiences and track record you have built, and by fulfilling responsibility, the possibilities expand infinitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From that conviction, I wanted to create an organization and society \u2014 specifically a “company,” which is the building block of society \u2014 where individual potential can be maximized. That drove me to found the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Ballista” refers to a large ancient crossbow. The red part at the center of the logo represents us \u2014 the members of Ballista \u2014 and the name carries our aspiration to be “arrows of transformation” that pierce through entrenched conventions and constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I hold central is the concept I described earlier: “experience \u00d7 track record \u00d7 responsibility = market value.” Of these, “responsibility” is particularly important \u2014 when a strategy is drawn up beautifully but results don’t follow, it is because the “last-man spirit” of seeing things through is missing. That is precisely why we prize above all else the sense of responsibility to push through gritty and determined to the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Revenue has been growing year on year; in our current fourth year we are at \u00a51.6 billion, and we are targeting \u00a55 billion within a few years. Organizationally, we are currently at 52 members, but we plan to build to a team of 90 in the coming year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, our goal is to become a company representing Japan \u2014 targeting “a top-100 market capitalization” \u2014 but we have no intention of going public (IPO). Rather than returning value to shareholders, we want to return the maximum value to the members who work alongside us, while through dynamic challenges continuing to maximize individual potential and nimbly applying the equivalent of “gold leaf” to society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three. The first is being at a phase where we are building businesses together. Being at a startup stage means you can play a part in growing the company \u2014 which is something very hard to get at a large, established consulting firm. The second is a rich education program. Because we invest particularly heavily in talent development, the soil is cultivated for people of any background to grow by believing in their own potential. And the third is having excellent colleagues around you. It’s an environment where all members can elevate each other, so it’s particularly recommended for people who want to sharpen each other and grow together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Led by the Promotion Awards, we are cultivating a culture where members lift each other up. There will of course be moments where people feel the sting of frustration. But by having the people around them and the company provide support, we want to increase by one the number of members who use that frustration as a springboard for growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to put even more effort into coaching training not just for members, but for Managers as well. Managers in particular are committed to developing their members, and I want to expand the coaching menus and similar tools so that the company can support that commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For people who have dreams, who don’t pass the buck, and who can push through with openness and determination \u2014 Ballista will be a “platform” that changes your life. In this era of advancing AI, let’s aim to become a one-of-a-kind professional that people say “I want you specifically” to. I look forward to seeing a new landscape together with people who share the same aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Representative Director Nakagawa has an unusual career arc \u2014 from the National Defense Academy through consulting to founding his own company. What struck me most in the interview was the depth of his conviction in “individual potential,” and the weight of the phrase “last-man spirit \u2014 the responsibility to see things through to the end.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The stance of deliberately not pursuing an IPO and instead returning profits to employees, and the policy of trusting in the potential of inexperienced candidates and developing them with a training system that surpasses even the major firms, is something that rewrites the existing image of consulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n True to the company name of “arrows of transformation,” this was an interview in which I felt the overwhelming energy of a Representative Director intent on piercing through societal conventions and growing alongside his employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ConsulNext Senior Consultant<\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Graduated from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the National Defense Academy. After Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting and ExaWizards, he took on his current role. He has extensive support and execution experience across three axes: new business development, organizational reform, and marketing. Most recently, he has handled projects including organizational transformation strategy formulation and execution, company establishment, and new business launches. He combines consulting skills, execution skills, and passion.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nPerformance-Based Consulting That Commits to Results Is Our Strength<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ph01_ballista.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Could you start by telling us about the company’s characteristics? How do you see yourselves as different from existing consulting firms?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Could you also tell us about the business activities you handle?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Could you tell us more about your businesses beyond consulting?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Supporting a Wide Range of Projects and Clients Across Industries and Business Types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ph02_ballista.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 What kinds of projects do you most commonly handle?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 How many employees do you have?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
From Zero Experience to a Dramatic Boost in “Market Value.” Ballista’s Unique Education and Evaluation System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ph03_ballista.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Do you also hire mid-career candidates without consulting experience?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Could you tell us about the training system for those without experience?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Are there any programs or initiatives that support members’ career growth?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 What kind of people do you want to join the company?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Wanting to Build a Company That Unlocks Individual Potential \u2014 What Sparked the Decision to Found the Company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ph04_ballista.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Your background is truly unique. Could you tell us about the journey from the National Defense Academy to the private sector and eventually to founding a company?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 You first moved to a startup. Why did you then aim to become a consultant?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 In the midst of all that, what was the catalyst that led you to found the company?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Having founded Ballista through all these experiences, could you tell us about the meaning behind the name?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Committed to Staying Private \u2014 Aiming for “Top 100 Market Cap.” The Grand Future Ballista Envisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ph05_ballista.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u2014 What vision do you have for the future?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 For prospective applicants, are there experiences uniquely available at your company that can’t be had at other consulting firms?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Are there any company-wide initiatives that support member growth?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Finally, a message for prospective applicants considering Ballista.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\u3010Post-Interview Note\u3011<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mirai-works.co.jp\/consulnext\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/img-tsukada.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Masahito Tsukada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBallista Inc. \u2014 Company Information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Address<\/strong><\/td> CIRCLES Kanda Ekimae Building 6F, 2-7-14 Kajimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0044<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Founded<\/strong><\/td> August 2022<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Representative<\/strong><\/td> Representative Director & President: Takato Nakagawa<\/td><\/tr> <\/span>Business Activities<\/strong><\/td> \u30fbConsulting
\u30fbProfessional guild “Yoake”
\u30fbProprietary product development \/ proprietary business development<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBallista Inc. \u2014 Job Listings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n