Disney Legend and former CEO of Oriental Land Company (owner and operator of Tokyo Disney Resort) Toshio Kagami was honored yesterday with a special cavalcade at Disneyland. The cavalcade found Kagami-san riding down Main Street, USA aboard Walt’s Main Street Fire Truck, accompanied by the Mickey Mouse, the Disneyland Band, and other Disney friends to celebrate and honor his passion and dedication to the Disney brand and to building what he called “a kingdom of dreams and magic.”
Kagami-san’s history with Disney goes back to 1960. It was then that he started working on plans for Tokyo Disneyland. This, the first international Disney theme park, wouldn’t end up opening until 1983. His work with Disney has continued through the decades. In recent years, he has led the expansion of Tokyo Disney Resort. This includes the opening of Toy Story Hotel and also the development of Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea and the Fantasy Springs Hotel.
In 2008, Toshio Kagami was named a Disney Legend. “One of the most important things we can do at Disney is carry on our traditions, and be true to our legacy,” said Disney Legend Jim Cora about Kagami-san. “Toshio Kagami has continued to follow the dreams of such important and diverse leaders as Masatomo Takahashi and Frank Wells, bringing the full promise of Tokyo Disney Resort to outstanding reality.”
“Walt was definitely a wonderful person,” Toshio once said, “but the fact that we were able to bring the Disney Resort to Japan and make it a success in Japan, I believe that we were able to bridge these two different cultures together. The world has to be a peaceful place and I would like to see more and more of these bridges built across the world.”
“When all is said and done,” Jim Cora said, “the work that Kagami-san has done leads directly back to one simple idea—Walt was right.”
Recently, Kagami-san transitioned the role of CEO to Yumiko Takano. He still, however, remains the Chairman of Oriental Land Company. His legacy remains and can be seen by every guests who visits the Tokyo Disney Resort. This is a legacy that will endure as the Tokyo Disney Resort continues to grow more beautiful and add more magic every year.
Toshio Kagami helped build the foundation for Tokyo Disney Resort and then continued to help it grow. Anyone who has visited the Tokyo Disney Resort will know that his legacy is incredibly magical. Thank you Kagami-san for your contributions to the Disney legacy and experience.
