We will make the average departure time for managers across Japan '5:00 PM'
COEO Inc. has declared a dream: "to make the average departure time for managers 5:00 PM." To change the current situation where long working hours are a barrier to career advancement, the company aims to reform work styles by promoting autonomous organization management, DX utilization, and the dialogue program "Share Coaching®."
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 09:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 01:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 20:41 (523h 40m after Collected)
Our company endorses April Dream, an initiative to make April 1st a day for sharing dreams. This press release is the dream of COEO Inc.
COEO Inc. (Ota-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Naoko Chigira), which operates the parental leave & dual-income community ikumado, will realize a future where the average departure time for managers across Japan is "5:00 PM."
## ■ Why is "managers leaving at 5 PM" necessary now?
Currently, Japan's Gender Gap Index is stagnant at 118th in the world, with a particularly noticeable lag in the "economy" sector. One of the factors behind this is the work style of managers, which presupposes long hours. In Japanese companies, it is common for managers to be seen as "those who work the longest and bear the most responsibility." This culture gives working parents the strong stereotype that "manager = impossible to balance with family," resulting in many giving up on career advancement. We are convinced that improving the social structure where "the higher the manager, the later they go home" is the key to a society where diverse human resources can thrive.
## ■ Initiatives for realization
Our goal of "managers leaving at 5 PM" is not just about recommending shorter working hours. It signifies a new way of organizing based on the following three transformations. A structural transformation is required not at the corporate level, but across society as a whole.
1. **Transition from "Management" to "Autonomous Rotation":** Since its founding, ikumado has realized an "autonomous organization" and has grown to a scale of over 1,300 people. We will spread an organizational structure where managers are not bogged down by detailed decisions by introducing a management method based on members' "I want to try," which does not rely on instructions and orders.
2. **Promotion of advanced DX utilization:** We will accumulate know-how to produce results in a short time using digital tools such as Zoom, Notion, and AI, and implement this as a "model" in society. This will improve the accuracy of meetings and decision-making.
3. **Support through "Share Coaching®":** The weekly dialogue program "Share Coaching," which currently has over 60 participants, has the power to re-examine individual conflicts in a social context. We will foster a culture where managers are not isolated but reflect with their peers, and support the creation of psychologically safe teams.
## ■ The "Next Normal" envisioned by ikumado
Managers who leave at 5 PM enjoy dinner with their families and invest time in their own learning and side businesses. We aim for a society where the feeling of "my children are important, but my career is also important" becomes the norm, and the next generation's eyes sparkle as they think, "I want to be a leader like that too." The essence of work-style reform is to build a structure that does not force anyone to overdo it. The era where only managers bear the burden is coming to an end. COEO Inc. will continue to take on challenges to realize a society where everyone can work without undue strain.
## ■ About COEO Inc.
Since its founding in 2021 (the ikumado community started in 2018), under the mission of creating a society where "both career and childcare are important," we have continued to provide autonomous community management, career development programs, and team side-job support to individuals on parental leave or in dual-income households, and to companies that want to utilize their abilities.
### 【Outsourcing Business (ikumado Works)】
In Japan, corporate employment is rigid, making it difficult to secure the right talent in the right place. The outsourcing business ikumado Works
COEO Inc. (Ota-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Naoko Chigira), which operates the parental leave & dual-income community ikumado, will realize a future where the average departure time for managers across Japan is "5:00 PM."
## ■ Why is "managers leaving at 5 PM" necessary now?
Currently, Japan's Gender Gap Index is stagnant at 118th in the world, with a particularly noticeable lag in the "economy" sector. One of the factors behind this is the work style of managers, which presupposes long hours. In Japanese companies, it is common for managers to be seen as "those who work the longest and bear the most responsibility." This culture gives working parents the strong stereotype that "manager = impossible to balance with family," resulting in many giving up on career advancement. We are convinced that improving the social structure where "the higher the manager, the later they go home" is the key to a society where diverse human resources can thrive.
## ■ Initiatives for realization
Our goal of "managers leaving at 5 PM" is not just about recommending shorter working hours. It signifies a new way of organizing based on the following three transformations. A structural transformation is required not at the corporate level, but across society as a whole.
1. **Transition from "Management" to "Autonomous Rotation":** Since its founding, ikumado has realized an "autonomous organization" and has grown to a scale of over 1,300 people. We will spread an organizational structure where managers are not bogged down by detailed decisions by introducing a management method based on members' "I want to try," which does not rely on instructions and orders.
2. **Promotion of advanced DX utilization:** We will accumulate know-how to produce results in a short time using digital tools such as Zoom, Notion, and AI, and implement this as a "model" in society. This will improve the accuracy of meetings and decision-making.
3. **Support through "Share Coaching®":** The weekly dialogue program "Share Coaching," which currently has over 60 participants, has the power to re-examine individual conflicts in a social context. We will foster a culture where managers are not isolated but reflect with their peers, and support the creation of psychologically safe teams.
## ■ The "Next Normal" envisioned by ikumado
Managers who leave at 5 PM enjoy dinner with their families and invest time in their own learning and side businesses. We aim for a society where the feeling of "my children are important, but my career is also important" becomes the norm, and the next generation's eyes sparkle as they think, "I want to be a leader like that too." The essence of work-style reform is to build a structure that does not force anyone to overdo it. The era where only managers bear the burden is coming to an end. COEO Inc. will continue to take on challenges to realize a society where everyone can work without undue strain.
## ■ About COEO Inc.
Since its founding in 2021 (the ikumado community started in 2018), under the mission of creating a society where "both career and childcare are important," we have continued to provide autonomous community management, career development programs, and team side-job support to individuals on parental leave or in dual-income households, and to companies that want to utilize their abilities.
### 【Outsourcing Business (ikumado Works)】
In Japan, corporate employment is rigid, making it difficult to secure the right talent in the right place. The outsourcing business ikumado Works