At Coto World, we believe everyone wins when international employees feel supported in Japan. The company retains talented people, and employees build lives they’re proud of. This is how language made the difference.

Few people understand this better than Shuuri Hatake, who leads Coto World’s Corporate Division in Tokyo. With a background in educational psychology and international counseling, Hatake works with companies to design Japanese language training programs that actually move the needle for their employees. She speaks from experience: having learned five languages herself and traveled to over 30 countries, she knows first-hand what it means to be a global learner. 

Read on to hear how she thinks about corporate training and how she sees her role at Coto World. 

Welcome, Hatake-san! Tell us about yourself and your role at Coto World!

Hello! I’m Shuuri Hatake from the Corporate Division. Before joining Coto, I worked as an educational psychologist and counselor across a range of education industries, from nurseries to universities abroad.

My role at Coto now involves account management with our corporate partners. Basically, I act as a hub between our clients, their employees, teachers, and staff at each campus. I’m always thinking about how to make it a win for everyone involved!

How does your background in psychology relate to your role right now?

Whether I’m working with children or adults, my belief that education can make the world a better place has never changed.

I was also involved in running an international marriage-consulting agency, where I constantly thought about how everyone could live fuller, richer lives in Japan. That experience maps directly onto what I do now: stepping in between people from different backgrounds and working together to find the best solution.

That’s interesting! What made you decide to join Coto World?

The biggest factor was the company’s message, “Enjoy Learning, Enjoy Life.” I’ve learned five languages myself, and I know first-hand how completely your world changes when you can speak a new one.

What’s your approach to working with corporate clients?

I want to understand what each client needs. What are their pain points? Why do they want their employees to learn Japanese? What challenges are they up against? Listening to them is where everything starts.

The great thing about our division is how flexible we are. Rather than saying “we can’t do that,” we ask, “How can we make this work?” That’s the kind of partner I want to be for our clients.

What’s the working environment like at Coto? 

Because the Corporate Division is a “hub”, we work with many different departments and people across the company. Everyone, from the staff at each campus to the teachers, is incredibly supportive. It’s a workplace where people genuinely look out for each other.

Moving away from work-related questions, how do you like to spend your free time?

Lately, I’ve been completely hooked on learning Spanish and salsa dancing. I’ve totally fallen for Latin culture! I’ve traveled to around 30 countries so far. 

I have a lot of outdoor hobbies — snowboarding, horse riding, wakeboarding, weight training — and I’m a big fan of Japanese sake too!

That’s so cool! Last question: What is something future colleagues should know about Coto?

For anyone thinking about joining us,  there are people who chose Japan and decided to build their life here. I think that takes courage, and I think we owe it to them to show up fully. Not just with language lessons, but with genuine care for what their life here looks and feels like. 

If you’re someone who gets excited by that kind of question, not just “how do we teach Japanese” but “how do we make Japan feel like home,” then I think you’ll find your people here. Language, culture, people, it all comes together at Coto. 

Come help us build something meaningful.

Ready to join the diverse, passionate team at Coto World?

At Coto World, we’re always looking for people who believe in the power of language to change lives. If you’re excited about creating meaningful experiences for Japanese learners worldwide, explore our open roles or reach out. We’d love to hear from you.