DDD/CQRS Expert Junichi Kato Appointed "AI Fellow" at Canly

Canly Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representatives: Mamoru Tatsumi / Yutaro Akiyama; hereinafter "Canly") is pleased to announce that software architect Junichi Kato, known as a leading expert in Domain-Driven Design (DDD), has joined the company as an "AI Fellow."

As our services become more feature-rich and large-scale, Mr. Kato's participation will drive bold reforms towards an AI-first development system and strengthen our system design for long-term growth, further solidifying the technical foundation of our engineering organization.

Background of Appointment

Under the mission "To build global infrastructure that supports store management," Canly is rapidly expanding its business domains by developing multiple products, including "Canly Store Customer Acquisition," "Canly Employee Benefits," and "Canly Local Inventory."

In November 2025, we will refresh our vision to "Increase store customer acquisition power with the power of people and AI," marking the beginning of a "second founding period" focused on transforming store management itself. With the spread of generative AI changing user search behavior and the diversification of products increasing system complexity, a robust software design foundation is essential to fundamentally realize Canly's goals of "company-wide social implementation of AI" and "transition to next-generation development processes."

Therefore, we have invited Mr. Kato, who possesses top-tier domestic expertise in AI-driven development, based on his experience with large-scale distributed system architectures such as DDD, Event Sourcing, and CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation).

He will primarily drive the transformation of our technical organization, focusing on the following three points:

1. Fusion of AI x Engineering

We will boldly transform the utilization of the latest AI technologies, currently led by CAIO Hagino, from mere feature additions into "AI-driven development" that forms the core of product development. We will build a system where an AI-first development lifecycle functions across the entire organization, fundamentally improving development productivity and product competitiveness. This is the most crucial role expected of Mr. Kato.

2. Leading the transformation of software design for AI-driven development

To realize the AI-driven development mentioned above, Mr. Kato will fully leverage his extensive knowledge of large-scale distributed system architectures cultivated over many years. In AI-driven development, beyond simple code generation and automation, the concepts of requirements definition, software design, and system architecture based on DDD principles are extremely important. This allows for appropriate management and bounding of contexts handled by AI, supporting a development process with high accuracy and reliability. As a leading figure in DDD, he will accelerate the evolution towards a robust software structure that is resistant to change and capable of handling increased functionality. In the future, we aim to build an unstoppable system with extremely high availability and scalability that can be called "global infrastructure."

3. Nurturing next-generation engineers who can adapt to this transformation

To foster engineers who can adapt to the new development paradigm of AI-driven development, we will enhance the technical skills of our development members through dialogue with Mr. Kato. Simultaneously, we will promote the external dissemination of practical knowledge in AI-driven development and strengthen the technical community where talented next-generation engineers will naturally gather.

About the "AI Fellow" Position

The "AI Fellow" is a position dedicated to the design and implementation of the "AI-first development system" that Canly aims for. Mr. Kato is known as a leading expert in reactive system design using Scala/Rust, DDD, Event Sourcing, and CQRS. In recent years, he has also been active at the forefront of AI-driven development through the development and promotion of the AI orchestration tool "TAKT" and the specification-driven development tool "takt-sdd," making him a rare individual possessing both these strengths. When AI reads and writes code, the most important factor is "context management." The Bounded Contexts and Aggregates that DDD has dealt with for many years strictly encapsulate information and behavior within each domain, dramatically improving the accuracy of the context provided to AI. Welcoming Mr. Kato, who combines the philosophy of architectural design with practical knowledge of AI-driven development, most accurately represents the next-generation development system our company aims for, and the title "AI Fellow" is symbolic of this.

Profile of Junichi Kato

Served as Tech Lead/Architect at kubell Inc. (formerly Chatwork Inc.), leading large-scale replacement projects. Proficient in technologies such as Scala, Rust, Domain-Driven Design (DDD), Event Sourcing, and CQRS. Currently, he serves as a technical advisor and consultant for numerous rapidly growing companies, including ZOZO and Leverages, while also contributing to the improvement of software development quality in Japan through writing and lectures. He is affectionately known as "Katojun" in the engineering community. Representative Partner of IDEO PLUS LLC.

Appointment Comment

Junichi Kato

The field of store management support that Canly is engaged in is a world where complex business logic from the real world intertwines in multiple layers, making it a very rewarding area for engineering. In the coming era where AI-driven development will be the norm, the ability to correctly model the domain and translate it into a bounded structure is essential to provide AI with the appropriate context and unlock its capabilities. I will engage in dialogue with the passionate team, including CAIO Hagino and CTO Koide, and generously share the knowledge of DDD, CQRS/ES, and practical experience in AI-driven development that I have cultivated so far. I will contribute with all my might to product development that embodies the philosophy of systems working behind the scenes so that those working in stores can concentrate on their main work.

Canly Comment

Mamoru Tatsumi / Yutaro Akiyama, Representative Directors, Canly Inc.

We are truly delighted to welcome Junichi Kato to Canly. Under our mission "To build global infrastructure that supports store management," we have developed multiple products, but the complexity of our systems has also increased with business expansion. In an era where even CEOs from business backgrounds like myself can create applications with Claude Code, and writing code with AI becomes commonplace, the "power of design" that forms the foundation becomes paramount—a conviction deepened through my conversations with Mr. Kato. Together with Mr. Kato, who possesses expertise in DDD, large-scale distributed systems, and practical knowledge of AI-driven development, we will evolve into an organization that can deliver robust, change-resistant products to our customers at the fastest pace.

Takuto Hagino, CAIO (Chief AI Officer), Canly Inc.

Junichi Kato has been an admired figure I have followed since a study session 10 years ago when I was a junior engineer. The overwhelming technical skill and experience I encountered then, along with his philosophy on software development, remain my foundation. He is a truly unique software architect when it comes to "building correctly," and I deeply respect him. I am overjoyed to be able to work towards the same goal with Mr. Kato. Although this is an unprecedentedly large challenge, I am confident that "we can do it with Katojun-san." Together with Mr. Kato, I am already excited about the future where Canly's engineering organization will further transform into an AI-native one.

Yukimichi Koide, Executive Officer, CTO, Canly Inc.

As our development organization expands and the complexity of our codebase increases, the question I have consistently grappled with is not only "how to build quickly" but equally "how to build correctly." I feel that Mr. Kato is not someone who "teaches" but rather a "fellow traveler" who has faced the same questions with the same passion. We will build a new stage for Canly's technical culture by creating opportunities where the perspectives of our engineers and Mr. Kato intersect. We will build this momentum together from now on.

Interview Article by Junichi Kato x CAIO Hagino x CTO Koide Published

To commemorate this appointment, a three-way interview with Junichi Kato, CAIO Hagino, and CTO Koide has been published on our official note. It delves into the background of his appointment, the technical challenges Canly is seeking to solve, and future architectural strategies.

▽ Interview Article Here https://note.com/canly/n/n99fff5d406f5

Company Overview

Company Name: Canly Inc. Established: August 15, 2018 Co-Representatives: Mamoru Tatsumi / Yutaro Akiyama, Representative Director Co-CEO Location: 2-2-20 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Business Activities: - Store Customer Acquisition Support Business - Development and provision of "Canly Store Customer Acquisition," an AI-powered service for integrated management, analysis, and operation of store customer acquisition media. - Development and provision of "Canly Employee Benefits," a welfare service that allows users to find nearby discount benefits on a map. Company HP: https://biz.can-ly.com/ "Canly Store Customer Acquisition" HP: https://jp.can-ly.com/ "Canly Local Inventory" Service Page: https://local.can-ly.com "Canly Employee Benefits" HP: https://fuk-ly.com/ "Canly Marunage MEO" HP: https://maru-nage-meo.jp/