Akihiro Hino
Akihiro Hino | |
|---|---|
日野 晃博 | |
 Hino in 2015 | |
| Born | July 20, 1968 Ōmuta, Fukuoka, Japan |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Known for | Dark Cloud series Professor Layton series |
| Title | President and CEO, Level-5 |
Akihiro Hino (日野 晃博, Hino Akihiro; born July 20, 1968) is a Japanese video game designer, producer, scriptwriter, and businessman. He is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Level-5.[1] Hino has held multiple roles in game development, including programming, scenario writing, directing, and executive production.
Biography
Early life and education
Akihiro Hino was born in Ōmuta, Fukuoka Prefecture. Hino credited titles like Dragon Quest III as formative experiences that shaped his understanding of video games as a medium capable of emotional storytelling.[2] He also developed an early interest in three-dimensional graphics, which influenced his later work at a time when most Japanese games were two-dimensional.[3]
Early career
Hino began his professional career in the late 1980s at Riverhillsoft, a now-defunct Japanese developer.[4] He contributed as a programmer to several early titles, including Doctor Hauzer,[5] before serving as lead programmer on OverBlood (1996).[6] He was promoted to lead designer and director for its sequel, OverBlood 2 (1998), marking his first major leadership position.[7]
Founding Level‑5
In October 1998, Hino founded Level‑5 in Fukuoka with a small team of collaborators.[4][8] Level‑5’s first major release was Dark Cloud (2000) for the PlayStation 2, combining action role-playing gameplay with town-building mechanics.[9] This was followed by Dark Chronicle and Rogue Galaxy, with Hino serving in roles spanning game design, scenario writing, and production.[10][11]
Major works and collaborations
Hino directed Dragon Quest VIII (2004) in collaboration with Square Enix.[12] He later led Level‑5’s collaboration on Dragon Quest IX.[2]
In the late 2000s, Hino oversaw original franchises including Professor Layton and the Curious Village, which launched the globally successful Professor Layton series on the Nintendo DS and later expanded into films and spin-offs.[13] He also directed Inazuma Eleven, a football-themed role-playing series that expanded into anime and merchandising.[13] Hino contributed creatively to Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch in collaboration with Studio Ghibli[14] and oversaw the launch of Yo-kai Watch (2013), which became a cultural phenomenon in Japan.[15]
As president and CEO of Level‑5, he was appointed Principal (head supervisor) of the Top Game Creators Academy (TGCA), a professional development program launched by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) to cultivate the next generation of game developers.[16]
In 2014, Hino received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the Japan Game Awards for his contributions to Japanese interactive entertainment, recognizing his work in creating cross-media franchises that have influenced both domestic and international audiences.[17]
Works
| Year | Title | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Burai: Jōkan | Programmer |
| 1991 | Tōdō Ryūnosuke Tantei Nikki: Ōgon no Rashinban | Main Programmer |
| 1992 | Prince of Persia (FM Towns) | Programmer |
| 1994 | Doctor Hauzer | Main Programmer |
| 1995 | The Doraemons: Yūjō Densetsu | Main Programmer |
| 1996 | OverBlood | Lead Programmer |
| 1998 | OverBlood 2 | Director, Game Design, Story |
| 2000 | Dark Cloud | Producer, Game Designer, Story |
| 2002 | Dark Chronicle | Producer, Game Designer, Story |
| 2004 | Dragon Quest VIII | Director |
| 2006 | Jeanne d'Arc | Producer, Game Designer |
| 2007 | Professor Layton and the Curious Village | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2007 | Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2008 | Professor Layton and the Unwound Future | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2008 | Inazuma Eleven | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2009 | Professor Layton and the Last Specter | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2009 | Inazuma Eleven 2 | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2009 | Dragon Quest IX | Director |
| 2010 | White Knight Chronicles: International Edition | Director, Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2010 | Inazuma Eleven 3 | Producer, Designer |
| 2011 | Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch | Executive Producer, Story |
| 2011 | Inazuma Eleven Strikers | Producer, Designer |
| 2011 | Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2012 | LBX: Little Battlers eXperience | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2012 | Time Travelers | Producer |
| 2012 | Mobile Suit Gundam AGE | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2012 | Layton Brothers: Mystery Room | Producer |
| 2012 | Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney | Story |
| 2012 | Inazuma Eleven GO Strikers 2013 | Producer |
| 2012 | Fantasy Life | Producer |
| 2013 | Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy | Producer |
| 2013 | Yo-kai Watch | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2014 | Wonder Flick | Director, Producer |
| 2014 | Yo-kai Watch 2 | Producer, Designer, Story |
| 2015 | Yo-kai Watch Blasters | Producer |
| 2016 | Yo-kai Watch 3 | Producer, Story |
| 2017 | Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy | General Director, Designer, Story |
| 2017 | Snack World: Trejarers | General Director, Designer, Story |
| 2018 | Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom | General Director, Story |
| 2018 | Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl - Gold | General Director, Designer, Story |
| 2019 | Yo-kai Watch 4 | Producer, Story |
| 2025 | Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time | Producer, Executive Producer |
References
- ↑ "Akihiro Hino". Apple TV (in French). Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- 1 2 "Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS – Third-Party Game Developers Vol. 1: Dragon Quest Changed My Life". Iwata Asks. Nintendo. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
- ↑ "Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS – Third-Party Game Developers Vol. 1: "From Now On, It Will Be the Era of 3D"". Iwata Asks. Nintendo. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
- 1 2 "20 years of Level-5". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Doctor Hauzer". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "OverBlood". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "OverBlood 2". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Level-5's Professor Layton Series Ships 11.5M". Game Developer. 2011-02-28. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ Juba, Joe (2018-11-09). "The PlayStation Classics: Dark Cloud PS2 Classic". PlayStation LifeStyle. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ Winkler, Chris (2003). "Creator's Talk Interview #2: Akihiro Hino". RPGFan.com. Archived from the original on 2009-07-12. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
- ↑ "Making Video Games Is A Harsh Mistress". Kotaku. 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Level-5 taps Studio Ghibli for DS game". GameSpot. 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- 1 2 "GDC: Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino's Keys To Success". Game Developer. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Ni No Kuni, Level 5's Collaboration With Studio Ghibli, Secures 600k Initial Shipment". Game Developer. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
- ↑ "Akihiro Hino Explains Why Yo-Kai Watch Has Been So Successful and What Sets It Apart". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
- ↑ "Top Game Creators Academy launches with Akihiro Hino as Principal". ASCII.jp. Kadokawa. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
- ↑ "Biography: Akihiro Hino – CESA Awards 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 2026-01-24.