In the vibrant world of creativity and animation, few names resonate as strongly as Jake Ohama. Based in Singapore, Jake Ohama is a visionary leader and animation pioneer, renowned for redefining the power of storytelling. With a distinguished career spanning fashion, e-commerce, and large-scale event production, he has demonstrated a distinctive ability to blend creativity with business acumen. As the Founder & CEO of Rabbitwarren Animation Studios, Jake leverages the power of storytelling to inspire impactful narratives, transcending borders and generations. His vision and work are a testament to the transformative power of storytelling and his unwavering commitment to creating a more unified and peaceful world.
Jake’s Path: From USC to Global Fashion Icon
After graduating from USC, Jake worked at RIVIERA CC, a prestigious country club in Los Angeles, where he gained valuable experience managing large-scale events, including the Los Angeles Open and US Open, which attracted 150,000 audiences every year. This demanding role, which required him to wake up at 3:00 am to mow the lawn and conduct research to improve profits, was a formative period in his career.
In 1999, Jake left his job to start a mobile e-commerce company, leveraging the internet to revolutionize fashion retail. A few years later, he received an unexpected request from Kobe Collection to revitalize the local economy. The event’s success, drawing 8000 people, led to a request from Tokyo government officials to launch Tokyo Girls Collection (TGC), which became one of Japan’s largest fashion shows, attracting 30,000 to 60,000 attendees and reaching 30 million people through TV and broadcasts.
Rabbitwarren pioneered mobile commerce, launching platforms that grew to over 20 million users. The company partnered with Louis Vuitton Japan, Colette, and Cartier and led promotions for American fashion brand Kitson, generating $200 million in revenue.
Jake’s philanthropic efforts include providing support to the Tohoku region after the Great East Japan Earthquake and organizing the WORLD RUNWAY, a fashion event in Singapore, donating proceeds to disaster-stricken areas in Tohoku. This experience led him to begin a new venture in Singapore.
From Turnaround to Triumph
Having sold all his group companies in Japan in 2011, Jake had to navigate the expectations of prominent shareholders, including venture capital firms, trading houses, and SoftBank Group. Managing these stakeholders required strong leadership and relentless focus, as the group had a substantial workforce of nearly 900 employees. Some of those companies later went public after the sale.
Jake made a deliberate decision to bootstrap the company’s growth, opting for self-funding instead of external investment. It has allowed RabbitWarren Animation Studios to grow at a measured pace, with a focus on developing high-quality content. The company’s channels are steadily gaining traction, and Jake has set an ambitious target of reaching 100 million subscribers before exploring full monetization or potential external investment.
Challenging Conventions: A Visionary Approach to Animation
Jake views the company as a bold newcomer, constantly experimenting and pushing boundaries to communicate its message with authenticity and effectiveness.
With limited resources, Rabbitwarren has made strategic decisions, such as opting for 2D CG over cutting-edge 3D CG, allowing for greater flexibility in revisions and creative adjustments. This approach has yielded great results, as evidenced by the rapid growth of their experimental channel, “Haru & Haruka Into RabbitWarren,” which surpassed one million subscribers in just about three weeks — reportedly the fastest growth among Asian animation channels this year.
Creative Freedom and Authentic Connection
As Creative Director and Animation Director, Jake oversees every aspect of the channel — from concept and message to planning and design.
His diverse background in Japan’s IT and fashion industries has equipped him with a unique skill set, honed in environments where competition was fierce and innovation was essential. However, Jake notes animation gives the creative freedom to create without external constraints, allowing the team to grow at their own pace.
The creative autonomy nurtured an environment of continuous discoveries and learning.
For Jake, the most rewarding part of his work is witnessing the honest, unfiltered reactions from diverse age groups and backgrounds. That direct connection makes every effort worthwhile.
The Significance of Animation in Growth and Innovation
Jake emphasises the importance of animation as a universal language, transcending cultural boundaries and connecting with audiences worldwide. As the world shifts towards digitalization and AI integration, he believes animation will play a major role in driving growth and innovation.
Jake predicts that the current proliferation of AI technology companies will consolidate into a few dominant players, like the automotive industry. When technological functions become indistinguishable, he argues that characters will be the new forms of differentiation, serving as the “fashion” of AI itself.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Jake reflects a valuable lesson learned from a previous venture — Branding, Inc., a fashion online marketing and sales company he founded in Japan. The company was tasked with reviving a declining U.S. select shop brand, which Jake successfully restructured and repositioned for the Asian market. The brand’s handbags, priced between USD $120 and $150, became a phenomenal success, selling over 1.5 million units within nine months.
However, the U.S. headquarters’ unauthorized licensing of products to other retailers led to parallel imports flooding Asian markets, ultimately causing the brand’s popularity to collapse. This experience taught Jake that success can also destroy a brand if boundaries aren’t protected.
A Vision for Global Unity
Jake and his team believe that events on Earth follow a rough cycle, and they foresaw February 22, 2022, as a crucial turning point. On that day, they traveled to Hiroshima, a city symbolizing eternal world peace, to draft and proclaim the “UNCONDITIONAL PROJECT” to the world.
Their message is simple yet profound: humanity is fundamentally one, and it is foolish to fight among themselves on this small planet. They advocate for reclaiming an “unconditionable heart”, a universal truth they believe is the key to saving the planet. The heart is about recognizing that everyone is born with an innate ability to love unconditionally, and it is this that drives their project’s mission.
The timing of their declaration was poignant, as just two days later. Russia invaded Ukraine, plunging the world into fear and chaos. This event reinforced the importance of their message and the need to rediscover an “Unconditionable Heart” for the future of the world.
To ensure this message reaches as many people as possible, they have created an animation project, “RABBITWARREN”, aiming to tell a compelling story that conveys the essence of life on Earth through analogies and metaphors.
A Pivotal Moment in Jake’s Remarkable Career
In 2000, Jake had a vision for the future of mobile commerce. Despite the prevailing focus on desktop e-commerce, Jake believed that mobile screens would soon become larger and colour, and that mobile commerce would eventually dominate. His staff disagreed, and many in the apparel industry laughed at the idea.
Undeterred, Jake trusted his intuition and conducted an experimental scale of unsold winter coats from Kobe boutiques on his mobile site. The result was astonishing: all 300 coats sold instantly. Major newspapers like Nikkei covered the story, and Jake’s company quickly became known as a pioneer in mobile e-commerce.
Pandemic Pivot: Embracing Innovation
The pandemic presented a major challenge to Jake’s plan, forcing him to rethink his approach. Before COVID-19, he and his team planned large-scale, 10,000-person live events to promote their animation projects. But with the onset of the pandemic, they made a strategic decision to pivot to a YouTube-first strategy that could thrive remotely.
This shit in approach proved to be a game-changer for the company. By harnessing YouTube, they were able to reach a wider audience, cut costs, and enhance their digital presence.
Finding Balance in Personal and Professional JourneyJourney
The right balance between personal and professional life depends on one’s stage of life and environment. In their twenties and thirties, during the dawn of the internet era, Jake worked from early morning to late at night just to keep up with rapid industry changes — often at the cost of his health.
However, as he entered a new stage of life, his priorities shifted, and he began to focus on what he truly loves. Today, Jake feels a sense of calm and balance, a testament to the importance of finding a rhythm that suits one’s unique needs.
Distinctive Leadership Qualities
According to Jake, true leadership is not about declaring oneself as such, but instead about being sensitive to others’ needs and quick to provide support. Those who hold this quality often find themselves leading effortlessly, as others are drawn to their empathetic and supportive nature.
A true leader, in the business leader’s view, is the one who understands that imagination can be a powerful catalyst for creation. They stay calm, make timely and wise decisions, and trust both the flow of life and the people they work with.
Rabbitwarren’s Mission-Driven Approach
Jake is humble about the company’s growth, considering that the company is still in the experimental phase. However, the Rabbitwarren’s mission-driven approach is what truly drives the team.
They see themselves not just as an animation company, but as a messaging project with a clear and powerful mission. Their journey began on February 22, 2022, in Hiroshima, Japan, with the launch of UNCONDITIONABLE PROJECT, which serves as the foundation of everything they do.
At the core of Rabbitwarren’s message is simple: “We are all part of one energy. Let’s stop hurting each other on this small planet, remember our unconditional hearts, and build a world of infinite abundance through love — not fear.”
That message is the true heart of RabbitWarren, guiding the team’s actions and decisions.
Building a Legacy: Creating a Global Impact
Jake has set ambitious goals; his primary objective is to reach 100 million subscribers on YouTube and expand its global presence. This target is not just a numbers game; it is a crucial step towards building a sustainable ecosystem that will ensure the long-term stability of their creative universe.
He plans to leverage the influence across numerous platforms, including books, films, games, fashion, beauty, and beyond, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that will endure for generations to come.
Words of Wisdom: A Path to Success
Jake’s journey is a testament to the power of embracing uncertainty and turning hurdles into opportunities. Their life has been marked by unexpected events and uncertainty, but they believe that each experience has shaped them into who they are today.
One key lesson Jake has learned is that setbacks and failures often become the foundation for future success, offering valuable learning and momentum to move forward. They advise aspiring leaders to see obstacles as “new life challenges” and approach them with a positive attitude.
The leader’s own experiences with deception and betrayal have taught him to see these events as a catalyst for growth, allowing them to move forward with a steady and positive mindset.