Sonic Garden Fully Supports Setagaya Ward Programming Club Activities. Proposing a New Way for Programmers to Grow, Starting from Passion

Sonic Garden Inc. (Head Office: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yoshito Kurunuki), which develops "commissioned development without delivery" and advocates new ways of working for programmers, will fully support the establishment and operation of "Setapro Club," a programming club activity spanning grades and schools in Setagaya Ward, starting April 2026 by the general incorporated association Setapro, providing financial, spatial, and human resources.

This support is not intended for short-term recruitment or investment recovery. By creating a place for children to purely enjoy programming as a primary experience, before the "apprenticeship system" and "high school graduate recruitment" that our company has practiced, this initiative aims to present to society a long-term talent development path, from elementary and junior high school club activities to veteran developers called "oyakata" (masters) within the company.

*For details on the activities, features, and future development of Setapro Club, please refer to the press release announced by the general incorporated association Setapro (https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000002.000179466.html).

■ Background of Support: Experience Passion Before It Becomes Work

Our company has expanded its organization around highly skilled programmers, based on the philosophy of "creating good software." In recent years, we have also focused on "apprenticeship systems" and "high school graduate recruitment" to train programmers from scratch in-house.

However, we noticed something in the training environment. When one starts learning programming as a job, motivations such as "for salary" or "for employment" tend to take precedence, and the feeling that programming itself is interesting tends to be secondary.

Just as professional athletes and artists entered their fields from a pure feeling of "fun" and "liking it" in their childhood, to become an excellent programmer, isn't it indispensable to first have the experience of "playing with programming" without considering profit or loss? As a receptacle for that, our company decided to support the establishment of "Setapro Club."

■ In the AI Era, the Experience of Immersing Oneself in Programming is Necessary

With the evolution of AI, some coding tasks can now be handled by AI. Some say, "Does this mean there will be no meaning in learning programming?"

However, our company's view is different. The ability to think about what to achieve with software and how to design it—in other words, the importance of "thinking power to create software"—is, if anything, increasing. AI demonstrates high productivity when used by humans who possess this thinking power. And the surest way to acquire that thinking power is to write code with one's own hands and go through a process of trial and error.

We believe that a primary experience where children immerse themselves in programming is necessary precisely to be on the side that can master AI as a tool.

■ Why "Club Activity" and Not a School or塾 (Cram School)

In this project, our company has taken the form of supporting the activities of a non-profit general incorporated association, rather than as a for-profit business.

If it were made into a school premised on benefits such as "being advantageous for employment" or "improving grades," the children would be deprived of the "space to choose and play" on their own. Instead of just completing a curriculum, they would try things out with friends, teach each other, and immerse themselves in what they want to create. We determined that the framework of "club activities" is optimal for providing such an environment.

This is an attempt to translate our company's value of "working as if playing" into an environment of "learning as if playing" for the next generation and implement it in society.

■ A Path for Programmers to Grow, Connecting from Elementary and Junior High School Students to Veteran Developers

The support for "Setapro Club" this time is the first step in our company's vision for programmer training.

Our company currently operates an "apprenticeship system" that hires young people with no programming experience and trains them for several years under skilled developers (masters). In addition, we have started "high school graduate recruitment" for young people who aspire to become programmers without going to university.

Setapro Club is positioned before this. We hope to present to society a path where elementary and junior high school students awaken to the joy of programming through club activities, hone their expertise in high school, and eventually grow into autonomous developers.

Of course, it is not a condition that children who learned at Setapro Club join our company in the future. However, we are convinced that by showing this path to society and continuing to invest in programming culture, it will ultimately lead to an increase in "people who create good software" in the world and enrich Japan's software industry.

■ Overview of Support

Support details:

・Provision of activity space (a corner of our office opened as a club room)

・Donation of operating funds (covering all activity expenses. Participation fees are completely free)

・Accompanying support by active programmers (our programmers will accompany the activities)

・Support for curriculum development

Recipient: General Incorporated Association Setapro (Representative Directors: Shiro Fujiwara, Masayuki Matsushita)

Target project: Inter-elementary and junior high school programming club activities "Setapro Club"

Start time: April 2026 (Provisional club period begins. Official entry in May)

■ [Special Interview] How do people who work as if playing grow?

An interview article has been published, in which our representative, Yoshito Kurunuki, and Setapro's representative director and career education expert, Masayuki Matsushita (Representative of Yuilo Co., Ltd.), discuss the background of this initiative, why our fully remote company is particular about a "real place" in Setagaya, and how programmers grow starting from "passion."

Left in photo: Yoshito Kurunuki, Representative Director and President, Sonic Garden Inc.

Right in photo: Masayuki Matsushita, Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Setapro / Representative Director and President, Yuilo Co., Ltd.

[Main topics of the interview]

・Why does Sonic Garden invest in education?

・Why "club activities" and not a "school"?

・Why is a fully remote company particular about a "real place"?

・Investment not aimed at recovery, and discussions about a continuing future

▼ The full interview article can be viewed here

https://www.sonicgarden.jp/join_us/blog_articles/setapro202603

[About Sonic Garden Inc.]

Develops "commissioned development without delivery" and advocates a new system development model where programmers act as consultants on a monthly flat-rate basis. Practices a unique management style and work approach, including abolishing the head office, management without oversight, and an "apprenticeship system" for fostering young talent.

Official website: https://www.sonicgarden.jp/