【KID2026 Kyocera Award Winner】NIJIN Takes on the Era of 350,000 Absentee Students: Partnering with Over 50 Companies and Municipalities from Kanagawa for "Next-Generation Educational Co-Creation"

NIJIN Academy, one of Japan's largest K-9 alternative schools operated by NIJIN Co., Ltd., received the "Kyocera Award" at the pitch contest held during "Kanagawa Innovators Day 2026 (KID2026)," one of the largest innovation summits in Kanagawa Prefecture, on March 24, 2026. Takashi Isa, in charge of corporate and municipal co-creation, took the stage to present.

Following this award, the company has begun concrete discussions regarding partnerships with over 50 companies, municipalities, and educational institutions that have already expressed interest. By opening "in-company classrooms" and "in-university classrooms"—which create touchpoints between children and businesses from their elementary and junior high school years—and through business alliances with local governments, NIJIN aims to dispel concerns about future talent shortages faced by large corporations and expand new educational options that connect children directly with society nationwide.

Pitch Content ■ A Record 350,000 Absentee Students: It is the "Education Model" That Must Change, Not the Children Currently, the number of elementary and junior high school students who are absent from school (futoko) has reached a record high of 350,000. Many children who feel that "school doesn't fit them" suffer from low self-esteem and often lose hope for the future. To solve this issue, we believe that it is not the children who need to change, but the "education model" itself. As a hybrid school combining online (metaverse) and physical environments, NIJIN Academy provides a next-generation learning space that makes public education "portable," based on the foundations of diversity, autonomy, and choice.

Reasons for Winning the Kyocera Award: Passion for Solving Social Issues and Creating "Win-Win" Value with Companies What was highly evaluated in this award was our overwhelming passion for solving social issues and our business model that simultaneously addresses the future concerns (such as talent shortages) faced by large corporations. Having contact with companies from elementary and junior high school years not only provides children with opportunities to learn about the "living society," but also serves as an investment for companies to cultivate future innovators. This mechanism of creating win-win value through "Education x Business" was the deciding factor for this award.

Vision for Collaboration with Over 50 Institutions: Opening In-Company/In-University Classrooms and Municipal Partnerships Through this pitch, we have received inquiries for collaboration from over 50 companies, universities, and municipalities, primarily in Kanagawa Prefecture. Specifically, we are advancing and planning the following projects:

Opening of physical classrooms such as "In-Company Classrooms" and "In-University Classrooms": We will set up physical NIJIN Academy classrooms within corporate offices or university campuses. This creates an environment where children can learn while being exposed to the atmosphere of cutting-edge business and research.

Solving absenteeism through business alliances with municipalities: We will strengthen cooperation with local governments as a measure to guarantee learning for children in seclusion or in depopulated areas, who have been difficult to reach through conventional administrative support.

Comment from the Presenter: Takashi Isa, Corporate and Municipal Co-Creation, NIJIN Co., Ltd. "Every child has the power to be happy and the power to make others happy. I am convinced that this Kyocera Award is a sign of strong empathy and expectation for the 'educational co-creation model where society as a whole raises children' that we are promoting. We will expand this circle from Kanagawa and illuminate this country through education. We have truly entered an era where education can be chosen. To all companies and municipalities who share our aspirations, let us create a new form of learning together."

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About NIJIN Academy An alternative school for elementary and junior high school students who are absent from school, opened in September 2023, with over 700 students enrolled from more than 40 prefectures across Japan. With "multi-layered psychological safety," "dialogue-based classes by top-tier teachers," and "child-led projects" as the pillars of its curriculum, the school creates a future where not being able to go to school does not lead to feelings of inferiority or guilt, and where all children can have hope. As an alternative learning option, over 90%* of students who wish to do so have received attendance recognition from their home schools. *As of January 2025

▶ School Website: https://academy.nijin.co.jp/

NIJIN Co., Ltd. A "JAPAN EDUCATION COMPANY" that solves educational issues through structural change, based on the philosophy of "Illuminating the country through education." Sensing a national crisis in the fact that too many children cannot be themselves in current schools, former elementary school teacher Tatsuro Hoshino founded the company in April 2022 to make it a country where everyone can have "hope" for education. The company develops 13 mechanisms (businesses) to solve various educational problems, including absenteeism, teacher shortages, teacher working styles, and the nature of schools.

Company Name: NIJIN Co., Ltd. Location: 2-5-5 Tokiwa, Koto-ku, Tokyo Established: April 1, 2022 Representative: Tatsuro Hoshino Business Description: Educational business that solves educational issues through structural change (teacher training, support for absent students, entrepreneurship support, educational events, after-school programs) URL: https://nijin.co.jp/