Comprehensive Business Partnership Between Unico Co., Ltd., Providing Child Development Support and After-School Day Services, and NPO Education A-Cube, Operating an Alternative School
Unico Co., Ltd. and NPO Education A-Cube have formed a comprehensive business partnership to launch a new integrated facility, "unico place," in May 2026. This facility in Fukuoka Prefecture will combine alternative school education with after-school day services, offering seamless learning and therapeutic support for children with diverse backgrounds, including school refusal and developmental characteristics, fostering their autonomy and growth.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 4, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 4, 2026 at 03:30 (3h 30m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 12:24 (320h 54m after Collected)
**Unico Co., Ltd.** (Head Office: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Representative Director: Ryo Hamada, hereinafter "unico"), whose mission is to "Liberate children's potential," has **entered into a comprehensive business partnership** with **NPO Education A-Cube** (Head Office: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Representative Director: Yuichi Kusaba, hereinafter "Education A-Cube"), which has abundant experience in operating alternative schools.
Under this partnership, a **new comprehensive education and therapy facility "unico place," where children are the protagonists, offering an alternative school and after-school day services,** will be established in **Onomichi City, Fukuoka Prefecture (Kasugabaru)** in **May 2026**.
This initiative will seamlessly provide learning support and therapeutic support, fostering an environment where children learn based on their own choices and autonomy. Both companies will jointly operate and develop this comprehensive hub, enabling each child, regardless of their diverse backgrounds such as school refusal or developmental characteristics, to learn towards social independence at their own pace.
**[Background for Establishment]**
With the mission of "Liberating children's potential," unico has expanded its child development support and after-school day services, primarily in Fukuoka Prefecture, to locations nationwide, delivering child-centered therapy to many children.
On the other hand, Education A-Cube has operated multiple alternative schools within Fukuoka Prefecture, providing new learning environments as an alternative to traditional schools.
In recent years, the number of children experiencing school refusal has continued to break records, and the need for support for children with developmental characteristics is also increasing. Many cases show complex interrelationships where developmental characteristics are related to the background of school refusal, or children with developmental characteristics experience difficulty adapting to the school environment, leading to school refusal. Therefore, there is a growing demand not to separate learning support and therapeutic support, but to provide them in a coordinated manner.
Against this backdrop, we have established "unico place" as a new hub that meets the needs of each child with diverse backgrounds by **combining the strengths of both companies, providing integrated learning and therapeutic support, and creating an environment for learning and growth initiated by the child's own choices and autonomy.**
**[Concept of "unico place"]**
■ A Comprehensive Hub for Integrated Learning and Growth, "unico place"
"unico place" is a comprehensive hub that realizes service provision tailored to the condition and needs of each child, without separating learning support and therapeutic support, by providing alternative school and after-school day services in an integrated manner.
Based on the "unico method," a communication technique that promotes children's intrinsic motivation and enhances learning effectiveness, which unico has provided to many children in its child development support and after-school day services, it aims to create an environment for learning and growth that starts with the child's own choices and autonomy, not just in therapeutic settings but in all situations including learning and daily life.
■ Features
**① Usage Design to Promote Autonomy (Self-Directed Attendance System)**
We will support children in choosing and reserving their attendance days and times. Furthermore, while establishing a transportation system, we will encourage and support children to commute on their own, allowing them to accumulate daily experiences of choosing and acting in social life.
**② Learning Format that Draws Out Autonomy (Self-Directed Activity System)**
Upon arrival, children will set their own activity content and goals and engage in them autonomously. After the activity, they will conduct reflections (reviews) and record their own learning and changes, thereby enhancing self-understanding and a sense of growth.
**③ Learning Support through Coaching (Active Learning)**
Staff will interact with children using the proprietary communication technique "unico method" based on coaching to support their learning. Rather than instructing to teach and make them understand, they will support the process of children learning through trial and error by drawing out their intrinsic motivation. The support aims to foster not just the acquisition of knowledge, but the "method of learning" itself.
■ Operational Structure
**① Practical Structure Connecting Education and Therapy**
The alternative school will be fully backed up by the representative and specialized staff of Education A-Cube as special advisors. By incorporating Education A-Cube's accumulated expertise in ICT-based individualized learning and career support, the facility will provide support that leads to social independence and progression to higher education, going beyond merely offering a place to stay.
**② Building a Sustainable Support Model**
Through integrated operation with after-school day services, which are welfare businesses, we aim to improve the sustainability of the alternative school (freestyle school) business, which tends to face management challenges.
Furthermore, by utilizing a portion of the profits from this partnership, we will work to create mechanisms to reduce the number of children who cannot receive support due to financial reasons, such as considering the introduction of a grant scholarship system.
**[Comments]**
■ Ryo Hamada, Representative Director, Unico Co., Ltd.
At unico, we are directly addressing our mission of "Liberating children's potential" and working to realize learning environments where children are the protagonists. We believe that children with developmental characteristics especially need support that enables them to learn autonomously. While we have focused on therapeutic services to date, through this initiative, we will expand our practical scope and contribute to the realization of a society where all children can grow with their own strength.
■ Yuichi Kusaba, Representative Director, NPO Education A-Cube
We have supported the learning of diverse children in the field of freestyle schools.
We feel great significance in being able to deliver specialized support in an integrated manner, in addition to learning, through this collaboration.
We want to cherish and nurture this initiative as a place to expand the potential of each and every child.
**[Facility Overview]**
* Facility Name: unico place
* Location: Tsutsui 2-2-26, Onojo City, Fukuoka Prefecture
* Opening Date: May 2026
* Operation: Unico Co., Ltd.
* Educational Collaboration: NPO Education A-Cube
* Service Hours:
* 09:30-15:15 Alternative School "unico place"
* 15:30-18:30 After-School Day Service "unico place Kasugabaru"
**[Unico Co., Ltd. Overview]**
Unico Co., Ltd. is a company that provides welfare and education services centered on child development support and after-school day services, with the philosophy of "Liberating children's potential." By respecting the intrinsic motivation of each child and providing support that combines expertise with warmth, they aim for sustainable classroom management that connects with the community. Currently, they are expanding their classrooms nationwide, establishing a unique support system that balances high-quality services with family support.
Official HP: https://unico.co.jp
**[NPO Education A-Cube Overview]**
NPO Education A-Cube's mission is to realize a society where children can live happily and authentically. They operate an alternative school, "Study Place," which provides ICT-based individualized learning and curricula for necessary knowledge and skills for society. They also offer a unique scholarship system so that all children can learn, regardless of their economic background.
Official HP: http://education-a3.net/
**[Contact Information for Inquiries]**
Unico Co., Ltd. Public Relations: Mr. Ichichi
Phone: 092-725-2771 / Email: unico@unico-jp.net
Under this partnership, a **new comprehensive education and therapy facility "unico place," where children are the protagonists, offering an alternative school and after-school day services,** will be established in **Onomichi City, Fukuoka Prefecture (Kasugabaru)** in **May 2026**.
This initiative will seamlessly provide learning support and therapeutic support, fostering an environment where children learn based on their own choices and autonomy. Both companies will jointly operate and develop this comprehensive hub, enabling each child, regardless of their diverse backgrounds such as school refusal or developmental characteristics, to learn towards social independence at their own pace.
**[Background for Establishment]**
With the mission of "Liberating children's potential," unico has expanded its child development support and after-school day services, primarily in Fukuoka Prefecture, to locations nationwide, delivering child-centered therapy to many children.
On the other hand, Education A-Cube has operated multiple alternative schools within Fukuoka Prefecture, providing new learning environments as an alternative to traditional schools.
In recent years, the number of children experiencing school refusal has continued to break records, and the need for support for children with developmental characteristics is also increasing. Many cases show complex interrelationships where developmental characteristics are related to the background of school refusal, or children with developmental characteristics experience difficulty adapting to the school environment, leading to school refusal. Therefore, there is a growing demand not to separate learning support and therapeutic support, but to provide them in a coordinated manner.
Against this backdrop, we have established "unico place" as a new hub that meets the needs of each child with diverse backgrounds by **combining the strengths of both companies, providing integrated learning and therapeutic support, and creating an environment for learning and growth initiated by the child's own choices and autonomy.**
**[Concept of "unico place"]**
■ A Comprehensive Hub for Integrated Learning and Growth, "unico place"
"unico place" is a comprehensive hub that realizes service provision tailored to the condition and needs of each child, without separating learning support and therapeutic support, by providing alternative school and after-school day services in an integrated manner.
Based on the "unico method," a communication technique that promotes children's intrinsic motivation and enhances learning effectiveness, which unico has provided to many children in its child development support and after-school day services, it aims to create an environment for learning and growth that starts with the child's own choices and autonomy, not just in therapeutic settings but in all situations including learning and daily life.
■ Features
**① Usage Design to Promote Autonomy (Self-Directed Attendance System)**
We will support children in choosing and reserving their attendance days and times. Furthermore, while establishing a transportation system, we will encourage and support children to commute on their own, allowing them to accumulate daily experiences of choosing and acting in social life.
**② Learning Format that Draws Out Autonomy (Self-Directed Activity System)**
Upon arrival, children will set their own activity content and goals and engage in them autonomously. After the activity, they will conduct reflections (reviews) and record their own learning and changes, thereby enhancing self-understanding and a sense of growth.
**③ Learning Support through Coaching (Active Learning)**
Staff will interact with children using the proprietary communication technique "unico method" based on coaching to support their learning. Rather than instructing to teach and make them understand, they will support the process of children learning through trial and error by drawing out their intrinsic motivation. The support aims to foster not just the acquisition of knowledge, but the "method of learning" itself.
■ Operational Structure
**① Practical Structure Connecting Education and Therapy**
The alternative school will be fully backed up by the representative and specialized staff of Education A-Cube as special advisors. By incorporating Education A-Cube's accumulated expertise in ICT-based individualized learning and career support, the facility will provide support that leads to social independence and progression to higher education, going beyond merely offering a place to stay.
**② Building a Sustainable Support Model**
Through integrated operation with after-school day services, which are welfare businesses, we aim to improve the sustainability of the alternative school (freestyle school) business, which tends to face management challenges.
Furthermore, by utilizing a portion of the profits from this partnership, we will work to create mechanisms to reduce the number of children who cannot receive support due to financial reasons, such as considering the introduction of a grant scholarship system.
**[Comments]**
■ Ryo Hamada, Representative Director, Unico Co., Ltd.
At unico, we are directly addressing our mission of "Liberating children's potential" and working to realize learning environments where children are the protagonists. We believe that children with developmental characteristics especially need support that enables them to learn autonomously. While we have focused on therapeutic services to date, through this initiative, we will expand our practical scope and contribute to the realization of a society where all children can grow with their own strength.
■ Yuichi Kusaba, Representative Director, NPO Education A-Cube
We have supported the learning of diverse children in the field of freestyle schools.
We feel great significance in being able to deliver specialized support in an integrated manner, in addition to learning, through this collaboration.
We want to cherish and nurture this initiative as a place to expand the potential of each and every child.
**[Facility Overview]**
* Facility Name: unico place
* Location: Tsutsui 2-2-26, Onojo City, Fukuoka Prefecture
* Opening Date: May 2026
* Operation: Unico Co., Ltd.
* Educational Collaboration: NPO Education A-Cube
* Service Hours:
* 09:30-15:15 Alternative School "unico place"
* 15:30-18:30 After-School Day Service "unico place Kasugabaru"
**[Unico Co., Ltd. Overview]**
Unico Co., Ltd. is a company that provides welfare and education services centered on child development support and after-school day services, with the philosophy of "Liberating children's potential." By respecting the intrinsic motivation of each child and providing support that combines expertise with warmth, they aim for sustainable classroom management that connects with the community. Currently, they are expanding their classrooms nationwide, establishing a unique support system that balances high-quality services with family support.
Official HP: https://unico.co.jp
**[NPO Education A-Cube Overview]**
NPO Education A-Cube's mission is to realize a society where children can live happily and authentically. They operate an alternative school, "Study Place," which provides ICT-based individualized learning and curricula for necessary knowledge and skills for society. They also offer a unique scholarship system so that all children can learn, regardless of their economic background.
Official HP: http://education-a3.net/
**[Contact Information for Inquiries]**
Unico Co., Ltd. Public Relations: Mr. Ichichi
Phone: 092-725-2771 / Email: unico@unico-jp.net