Min-gaku CEO Yuta Sato Appointed as Participant of Tankyu Acceleration Organization, to Speak at AI NATIVE EXPO2026 'Education AI Summit'

Min-gaku Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Yuta Sato) announced that Yuta Sato, CEO of Min-gaku and Representative Director of the Japan Association for Educational AI Utilization, has been appointed as a participant of the Tankyu Acceleration Organization (TAO), which was established in April 2026 and is based in Kobe, Hyogo.

Min-gaku, which develops the education-specialized generative AI platform 'School AI,' has been promoting the use of generative AI in education and supporting inquiry-based learning, leveraging practical knowledge gained from over 1,600 schools and 160,000 students nationwide.

Through this participation, Min-gaku will work with experts and practitioners in the education sector to build an educational environment that fosters the 'ability to ask questions' and the 'ability to learn proactively,' both of which are essential in the AI era.

The Tankyu Acceleration Organization includes experts and practitioners leading the Japanese education sector, such as Hiroshi Suzuki, former Senior Vice Minister of MEXT; Shigenori Tanaka, Professor Emeritus at Keio University; and Masato Honma, Representative Director of the NPO Learning Organization.

■ Why the 'Ability to Keep Asking Questions' is Needed in the AI Era

With the rapid spread of generative AI, the value of 'memorizing knowledge' is changing significantly. Meanwhile, educational settings are facing rapidly increasing interest in challenges such as how AI should be utilized in education, how to foster autonomy and thinking skills in children, and how to support inquiry-based learning.

Against this backdrop, the Tankyu Acceleration Organization is promoting efforts to increase the number of mentors across the country who can draw out children's curiosity and autonomy through the training of 'Inquiry Navigators.'

■ Min-gaku's Efforts in Inquiry-based Learning

Min-gaku has been supporting the realization of inquiry-based and individualized learning in schools nationwide through its platform, 'School AI.' 'School AI' promotes the use of generative AI that is attentive to each student's thinking process, including the design of inquiry themes, questioning, information organization, and reflection support. Furthermore, it facilitates co-creation with schools, local governments, and educational institutions regarding the new form of learning in the AI era through teacher training and the operation of study groups and communities for educational practitioners.

■ Comment from Min-gaku CEO Yuta Sato

'Due to the evolution of generative AI, the value of 'getting answers' is changing significantly. That is why I feel that what kind of questions we ask and how we think will become more important. In educational settings as well, it is required to utilize AI not just as an efficiency tool, but as an existence that draws out children's autonomy and curiosity. Through participation in the Tankyu Acceleration Organization, I want to spread a new form of learning in the AI era to society by combining practical knowledge of Education x AI and insights into inquiry-based learning.'

■ Speaking at the AI NATIVE EXPO2026 'Education AI Summit' on the Theme of Inquiry-based Learning

As part of his activities following his appointment, Yuta Sato will serve as a moderator for a session themed on inquiry-based learning at the 'Education AI Summit,' a special project within the 'AI NATIVE EXPO2026' starting June 10, 2026 (Wed).

In this session, practitioners and researchers of inquiry-based learning, including Toshiki Tanyas, Representative Director of the Tankyu Acceleration Organization and President of Kobe Institute of Computing, will discuss fostering autonomy required in the AI era.

[Session Overview]
Title: Methods for Fostering Autonomy in the Era of Living with AI: 'Inquiry Navigator'
Date and Time: June 11, 2026 (Thu) 10:30–11:10
Venue: Stage D (3C32) within the AI NATIVE EXPO2026 exhibition hall
Speakers: Toshiki Tanyas (Representative Director, Tankyu Acceleration Organization / President, Kobe Institute of Computing), Masato Oda (CEO, Osintech / Director, Inquiry Intelligence Center), Kunihiko Yahagi (Principal, Chisogakusha / Visiting Professor, Tama University Graduate School)
Moderator: Yuta Sato (Representative Director, Japan Association for Educational AI Utilization / CEO, Min-gaku Co., Ltd.)

This session discusses how inquiry learning should be in the AI era and practices for fostering children's autonomy under the theme of shifting from 'education that teaches answers' to 'education that generates questions.'

■ Regarding the Inquiry Navigator Certification Course

The Tankyu Acceleration Organization plans to launch the 'Inquiry Navigator Certification Course' sequentially starting June 15, 2026. This course is intended for parents, educators, and those interested in children's autonomy and inquiry-based learning, with the goal of training 'mentors who support inquiry-based learning.'

■ About the Tankyu Acceleration Organization (TAO)

The Tankyu Acceleration Organization (TAO) is an organization that promotes the creation of an educational environment that fosters children's autonomy and curiosity through the training of 'Inquiry Navigators.'