# Kaz Ayabe

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Japanese video game developer

The native form of this [personal name](/source/Personal_name) is *Ayabe Kaz*. This article uses [Western name order](/source/Personal_name#Western_name_order) when mentioning individuals.

Kaz Ayabe 綾部 和弘 Born Kazuhiro Ayabe 1965 (age 60–61) Hokkaido, Japan Occupation Video game developer Notable work Boku no Natsuyasumi Title Founder of Millennium Kitchen

**Kazuhiro "Kaz" Ayabe** (綾部 和弘, *Ayabe Kazuhiro*; born 1965) is a Japanese [video game developer](/source/Video_game_developer). He is the founder of the video game company [Millennium Kitchen](/source/Millennium_Kitchen) and is best known as the creator of the video game series *[Boku no Natsuyasumi](/source/Boku_no_Natsuyasumi)*.

## Biography

Ayabe was born in 1965[1] in [Hokkaido](/source/Hokkaido) as the youngest of three children. He was interested in design from a young age, developing a hobby of drawing maps of imaginary towns as a child, and eventually moved to Tokyo to study animation at Tokyo Designer Gakuin College.[1] After graduating, he took a job as a graphic artist at the video game developer [NMK](/source/NMK_(company)), later becoming a programmer for the company. He worked on several titles for the company, including *Psychic 5* (1987), *Esper Boukentai* (1987), and *[Rolan's Curse II](/source/Rolan's_Curse_II)* (1992), before resigning from the company in the early 1990s. He worked as a freelancer for six months before being hired as a designer and project manager at K-Idea, a game design planning company founded by *[Shōnen Jump](/source/Weekly_Sh%C5%8Dnen_Jump)* games columnist Hajime Kimura.[2]

In 1997, Ayabe resigned from K-Idea to establish the game studio [Millennium Kitchen](/source/Millennium_Kitchen). There, Ayabe would direct, write, and design the video game *[Boku no Natsuyasumi](/source/Boku_no_Natsuyasumi)* (2000), which won a New Wave Award at the fifth [Japan Game Awards](/source/Japan_Game_Awards),[3] and was a finalist for the Excellence Award at the third [Japan Media Arts Festival](/source/Japan_Media_Arts_Festival).[4] Since then, *[Boku no Natsuyasumi 2](/source/Boku_no_Natsuyasumi_2)* (2002) and *[Bokura no Kazoku](/source/Bokura_no_Kazoku)* (2005) were selected as juror-recommended works at the [Japan Media Arts Festival](/source/Japan_Media_Arts_Festival),[5] and *[Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale](/source/Attack_of_the_Friday_Monsters!_A_Tokyo_Tale)* (2015) was selected as an honorable mention for Best Narrative at the [Game Developers Choice Awards](/source/Game_Developers_Choice_Awards).[6]

Since 2014, Ayabe has been the proprietor of "Kasei Curry" (Mars Curry), a [Japanese curry](/source/Japanese_curry) restaurant located in [Ikebukuro](/source/Ikebukuro), Tokyo.[7]

## Works

Year Game Credit(s) Ref(s) 1987 Psychic 5 Programmer [1] 1987 Esper Boukentai Programmer [1] 1992 Rolan's Curse II Programmer, sound [1] 1993 Jungle Wars 2 System assistance [8] 2000 Boku no Natsuyasumi Director, writer, game designer [9] 2002 Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 Director, writer, game designer [10] 2005 Bokura no Kazoku Director, writer, game designer [11] 2007 Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 Director, writer, game designer [12] 2009 Boku no Natsuyasumi 4 Director, writer, game designer [13] 2013 Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale Director, writer, game designer [5] 2021 Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation Game designer, writer [14] 2023 Natsu-Mon! 20th Century Summer Vacation Game designer, writer [15] 2024 Shin-chan: Shiro and the Coal Town Supervisor [16]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b42_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b42_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b42_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b42_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b42_1-4) [Barnholt 2013b](#CITEREFBarnholt2013b), p. 42.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b42–43_2-0)** [Barnholt 2013b](#CITEREFBarnholt2013b), pp. 42–43.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-JMAF_3-0)** ["『ぼくらのかぞく』がメディア芸術祭・審査委員会推薦作品に!!"](http://www.mkitchen.co.jp/archives/date/2005/12) ["Bokura no Kazoku" was recommended by the Jury of the Japan Media Arts Festival!!]. *Millennium Kitchen* (in Japanese). December 26, 2005. Retrieved May 16, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-JGA_4-0)** ["第５回日本ゲーム大賞 受賞作品一覧"](https://awards.cesa.or.jp/2000/) [The 5th Japan Game Awards Winners List]. *Japan Entertainment Software Awards* (in Japanese). Retrieved May 16, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-4gamer_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-4gamer_5-1) ["綾部 和氏が手がけた「GUILD02」作品の一つ「怪獣が出る金曜日」。子供の頃に思い描いた"巨大怪獣が出る世界"をノスタルジックな雰囲気で構築"](https://www.4gamer.net/games/205/G020503/20130313023/). *[4gamer.net](/source/4gamer.net)* (in Japanese). March 15, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GDC_6-0)** Sinclair, Brendan (January 9, 2014). ["The Last of Us, Tearaway, Gone Home lead GDC Award noms"](https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-last-of-us-tearaway-gone-home-lead-gdc-award-noms). *Gamesindustry.biz*. Retrieved May 22, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MarsCurry_7-0)** ["綾部和がプロデュースした『火星カレー』が池袋にオープン！"](http://www.mkitchen.co.jp/archives/1619). *[Millennium Kitchen](/source/Millennium_Kitchen)* (in Japanese). April 8, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b43_8-0)** [Barnholt 2013b](#CITEREFBarnholt2013b), p. 43.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Famitsu2006_9-0)** ["『ぼくのなつやすみポータブル』作者の綾部氏に直撃！"](https://www.famitsu.com/interview/article/2006/06/30/668,1151636205,55852,0,0.html) [An interview with Mr. Ayabe, creator of "Boku no Natsuyasumi Portable"!]. *[Famitsu](/source/Famitsu)* (in Japanese). June 30, 2006. Retrieved May 18, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013a16_10-0)** [Barnholt 2013a](#CITEREFBarnholt2013a), p. 16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013b46_11-0)** [Barnholt 2013b](#CITEREFBarnholt2013b), p. 46.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013a24_12-0)** [Barnholt 2013a](#CITEREFBarnholt2013a), p. 24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarnholt2013a30_13-0)** [Barnholt 2013a](#CITEREFBarnholt2013a), p. 30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Asahi_Shimbun_14-0)** Kuroda, Kenro (July 15, 2021). ["新作オラ夏 開発者がこだわる高2から終わらない夏休み"](https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASP7G4SLGP7FUCVL023.html). *[Asahi Shimbun](/source/Asahi_Shimbun)* (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Plunkett, Luke (February 8, 2023). ["Japan's Nintendo Direct Had A Very Nice Surprise"](https://kotaku.com/nintendo-direct-japan-natsu-mon-boku-no-natsuyasumi-1850091855). *[Kotaku](/source/Kotaku)*. Retrieved May 22, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Mielke, James (September 24, 2024). ["Best Of 2024: Child's Play: From Bokunatsu To Natsu-Mon - The Kaz Ayabe Interview"](https://www.nintendolife.com/features/best-of-2024-childs-play-from-bokunatsu-to-natsu-mon-the-kaz-ayabe-interview?page=2). *[Nintendo Life](/source/Nintendo_Life)*. Retrieved January 1, 2025.

### Bibliography

- Barnholt, Ray, ed. (June 25, 2013). ["Issue 10: Summer"](https://scroll.vg/issues/10). *Scroll* (10). Bipedal Dog. - Barnholt, Ray (June 25, 2013a). "*My Summer Vacation*". *Scroll* (10). Bipedal Dog: 9–39. - Barnholt, Ray (June 25, 2013b). "Boy of Summer: The Life and Times of Kaz Ayabe". *Scroll* (10). Bipedal Dog: 40–50. - Barnholt, Ray (June 25, 2013c). ["Summer Vacation Confidential: The Complete Kaz Ayabe Interview"](https://scroll.vg/extras/summer-vacation-confidential). *Scroll*. Bipedal Dog. Retrieved May 17, 2023.

## External links

- [Kaz Ayabe](https://twitter.com/ayabekaz) on [Twitter](/source/Twitter)

v t e Millennium Kitchen Works Boku no Natsuyasumi Boku no Natsuyasumi Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 Boku no Natsuyasumi 3 Boku no Natsuyasumi 4 Other games Bokura no Kazoku Attack of the Friday Monsters! Shin-chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid People Kaz Ayabe

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National Japan

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kaz Ayabe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaz_Ayabe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaz_Ayabe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.