Faculty Profile: Kanzi Takayama

Kanzi began commercial real estate profession in 2017 by joining Cushman Wakefield|Commercial Advisors as SVP and created an International Service Line. Kanzi’s primary area of interest was Japanese business communities. At Cushman, Kanzi led their first business delegation to Japan and visited a number of major Japanese corporations.

2021, Kanzi joined Magellan Group of eXp Commercial and continues to serve Japanese and international clients. Kanzi’s projects include site selection for foreign investments, assisting companies expanding in Japan. Kanzi is one of the very few bilingual （Japanese⇔English）commercial real estate professionals in the Southeast USA. Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsubishi Electric, Hayakawa Electronics, Apple Tree International, Zeny Japan, and Shemar Power USA are some of the clients.

Prior to real estate business, Kanzi was President/CEO and a Managing Director of a Japanese Trading Company, Goh America Corporation, operating in Tennessee, California, and Mexico. He developed an efficient and productive E-commerce supply chain business throughout USA and globally. The company supplied critical components to GE, Panasonic, Sharp, Komatsu, John Deere and MABE, and was recognized by these companies for outstanding services and innovative ideas.

Kanzi is utilizing his experience as a supply chain expert and his knowledge of Asian and Mexican markets, to provide logistics and supply chain consulting services. He has extensive international business partnerships and alliances in Japan, China, South Korea and Mexico. Kanzi also operates a translation and interpreting business as well.

Kanzi has organized many business and cultural events highlighting Memphis advantages, and has led several missions to New York and Japan, promoting investment in Memphis. He has created a platform for Mayor Strickland to present a Memphis Business Advantage Seminar in New York with JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) and Japanese Chamber of New York in 2018. He has also organized a Memphis investment seminar at Osaka Chamber of Commerce for Greater Memphis Chamber in 2018.

Currently Kanzi is serving on the Board of Directors of Japan-America Society of Tennessee (JAST) and on the Mayor Strickland’s Multicultural Advisory Board. An extensive community involvement includes serving on the Board of Advisors and International Council at Greater Memphis Chamber. Kanzi has also served more than ten years on the Board of Directors of JAST and a recipient of community and volunteer awards. Kanzi helps with Memphis Japan Festival with fundraising and programing. Past community leadership roles include six years of service on the Board of Directors at Memphis Botanic Garden and Memphis World Trade Club Board of Directors. Kanzi has also been a Tennessee delegate to Southeast US/Japan (SEUS/Japan) Conference for many years.

A native of Osaka, Kanzi travels frequently between US and Japan.