IWAYA INC.

IWAYA INC. is a company that "creates a future yet to be seen" for mankind with new technologies.

VISION

In Takashi Tachibana's famous book "Return from Space (1983)", many cases are reported of astronauts who had the opportunity to view the life on Earth, the planet of life, from a high altitude, and whose lives changed drastically after their return. Looking at the Earth from the outside. This experience alone has the potential to transform our world view.

In recent years, space exploration has gained momentum in many countries, and various ways of interacting with space, including for tourism purposes, have begun to be proposed, rather than the national missions of the past. However, as of 2024, most of them are still only open to a very limited number of people (financially or physically).

IWAYA INC. has developed technology that makes it possible for anyone to go on a space expedition easily and conveniently, without any special training and with only a cost that anyone can afford if they work hard. We are developing and commercialising this technology on a daily basis with the aim of taking everyone from infants to the elderly to the stratosphere, the "gateway to space", in other words, to "establish space tourism".

CEO

IWAYA INC.
Chief Executive Officer
Keisuke Iwaya

Graduated from the Department of Mechanical Intelligence Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University.
Inventor, scientist and author

In 2011, while studying aerospace engineering at university, started research and development of balloons; commercialised around 2014, established IWAYA INC. in 2016; in 2020, started development of manned balloons, and in 2023, succeeded in stratospheric flight.

Balloons are a rational means of realising the dream of 'seeing space' and a new method that is safe, stable, economical and sustainable. It will bring the view of space to far more people than ever before.

CORPORATION

(as of 1 May 2024)

  • Head office　26-12, Oasa-nakamachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-0854, Japan
  • Ebetsu R&D center　A, 26-22, Oasa-Nakamachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-0854, Japan
  • Creative and PR Department　4-11, Oasahigashimachi, Ebetsu-shi, Hokkaido 069-0852
  • Tokyo Office　X-NIHONBASHI, 1-5-3 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022, Japan
  • Established　1 April 2016
  • Capital　50.42 million yen
  • CEO　Keisuke Iwatani
  • Employees　75
  • Official website　https://iwaya.biz/en

Board members

  • CEO　Keisuke Iwaya
  • Director　Raita Naka
  • Director　Toshihiro Nakazono
  • Outside director　Toru Akaura
  • Outside director　Harunori Nagata
  • Auditor　Yasuhiro Shinohara (former Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)
  • Auditor　Hiroaki Rokugawa
  • Executive Officer　Takashi Suzuki (Head of Tokyo Office)
  • Advisor　Akira Nakadai
  • Advisor　Hidetaka Saeki
  • Advisor　Ikewaki Accounting Office

Business activities

  • Operation of high-altitude manned balloons
  • Design and development of pressurised cabins
  • Development of life support systems
  • Pressurised suit design and development
  • Long-range communications equipment development
  • Unmanned balloon payload research and development
  • Balloon launch equipment development
  • Zero-pressure balloon design and development
  • Super-pressure balloon research
  • Hydrogen balloon research and development

Intellectual property acquisition status

  • Patent No. 6932408　Airtight cabin for manned space excursions
  • Patent No.7118467　Means for photographing airborne objects in the air
  • Patent No.7013059　Endoskeleton type cabin
  • Patent No.7007005　Power transmission mechanism by magnetic connection
  • Patent No.6994795　Anchor parachute
  • Patent No.7071771　Constant temperature device under vacuum
  • Patent No.7153408　Exhaust and parachuting of a balloon
  • Patent No.7177562　Suspension string attachment method from a balloon
  • Patent No.7164261　Convertible zenith member
  • Patent No.7213600　Repairing method of cabin hole in emergency
  • Patent No.7246797　Structural member of balloon zenith
  • Patent No.7201284　Multiple window structure
  • Patent No.7201285　Sheet suspended inside a cabin
  • Patent No.7309238　Helium gas recovery method
  • Patent No.7343934　Structure of hanging string from a balloon
  • Patent No.7425518　Life support device mounted in a cabin
  • Patent No.7416506　Structural member used at the zenith of a large balloon
  • Patent No.6966826　ZL 2021 1 1345591.2 Pinching member for balloon
  • Patent No.7071770　US118,586,42 Condensation prevention device under vacuum
  • Patent No. 7031920　US117,949,06 ZL 2022 1 0181116.4 Thermal management using phase change
  • Patent pending　Structure of airtight cabins
  • Patent pending　Thermal management method for airtight cabins
  • Patent pending　Means of communication between balloon and ground
  • Patent pending　Method of maintaining the environment inside the cabin
  • Patent pending　Method of disconnecting equipment outside the cabin from the airtight cabin
  • Patent pending　Method of operating equipment outside the cabin from an airtight cabin