Masashi Takai (born 1947) is a Japanese business executive and bookselling and publishing industry leader. After graduating from Seikei University with a degree in law, he joined Kinokuniya Company Ltd. in 1971. He held a range of positions involving regional sales operations, the development of libraries, and the digitization of academic information before becoming president and representative director in 2008. Since 2023, he has served as chairman and representative director. Throughout his career, Takai has worked to sustain bookstores and publishing culture while also promoting the development of libraries. His book "Kiseki no Purojekuto: Toshokan ga Machi o Kaeta! — Shinsei Arao Shiritsu Toshokan no Chosen" chronicles the redevelopment of the Arao City Library in Kumamoto Prefecture, showing how cooperation between local government and the private sector transformed a conventional library into a gathering place and a new hub for the local community.
