Nice to meet you, Kinoshita-san! Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your day-to-day work in the L&D department?

After studying Japanese language education in graduate school, I worked at a local Japanese language school before joining Coto in October 2022. I currently work as LD (Learning & Development) at the Coto Japanese Academy Shibuya campus.

The role of LD is to create an environment where teachers can work happily and with peace of mind, which in turn supports learners in having a continuous and enjoyable learning experience. Specifically, I’m responsible for teacher recruitment at the Shibuya campus and supporting day-to-day lesson operations. In addition to my LD duties, I’m currently also involved in content and product creation and management as part of the Production Team.

Before joining Coto, what led you toward language education and curriculum development?

When I was a university student, I studied abroad in the United States, where I met a Japanese language teacher. Seeing what that work looked like inspired me to pursue becoming a Japanese language teacher myself.

As I was finishing graduate school and looking for a job as a Japanese teacher, I came across Coto’s website and was drawn in by the president’s message and the photos of teachers and students looking like they were having fun together. I applied right away, but at the time, I ultimately decided to go a different path. However, the person in charge of academic affairs who interviewed me was incredibly thoughtful and genuinely cared about me, and I strongly felt that “this is a school that values not just the students, but the people who work here too.” That experience made me want to work here someday if the opportunity arose.

Later, when I was looking to change jobs, I applied to Coto again and was offered the LD position (at the time called “academic affairs”). I didn’t fully know what the job would involve at first, but I decided to take on this new career challenge while drawing on my previous work experience.

What does the process of developing and improving lessons look like? What do you do to ensure they truly meet students’ needs?

Whenever students have requests or feedback that could lead to improvements in class, we share it with the teachers right away and work together to think through how to create better lessons.

We also have teachers, who interact with students every day, share their own observations and suggestions, which we then discuss internally as a team to drive improvements.

We place importance on staying connected with students, teachers, and every department involved, without working in isolation, and on incorporating diverse perspectives as we search for what’s “good for everyone.”

Rather than focusing on classroom teaching, what drew you to the “L&D” side of education?

A big reason was that I wanted to take on a new challenge that went beyond just teaching lessons.

In particular, I wanted to reach the many people who want to learn Japanese or achieve self-fulfillment through the Japanese language, and to deliver and expand a better learning experience for them. I felt that LD was the role that could make that happen, which is why I chose to join Coto as LD rather than as a teacher.

As Coto’s course lineup has expanded, how have your role and your department’s workflows changed?

In 2023, when the new Coto Japanese Academy Shibuya campus opened, I took on sole responsibility for LD at a campus for the first time. Since I hadn’t even been at the company for a full year yet, I felt some anxiety, but I tackled the new challenge with full effort every day.

Currently, alongside my LD role at the Shibuya campus, I’m also active as a member of the newly formed Production Team, working to develop better content and products for both students and teachers.

As for workflows within the department, we’ve been working on building out systems and processes. To deliver an enjoyable learning experience through Coto’s lessons to more people, a stable operational foundation is essential. For example, we’ve worked on things like creating manuals and building support systems for teachers.

How do you feel about the collaboration between the L&D team and the teachers who actually teach in the classroom?

Coto’s teachers always put students first and are the ones on the front lines, working directly with them. Coto’s lessons simply couldn’t happen without our teachers.

Conversations like “There’s a student who seems to be falling a bit behind in class — how should we help them improve?” or “I think this teaching material could be improved in this way” happen on a daily basis.

I feel that teachers, LD, and every department work together to create both “Coto’s day-to-day lessons” and an “enjoyable learning experience.”

LD is always in a position to communicate with teachers. I want to continue being someone teachers feel comfortable consulting and sharing observations with.

What are you interested in outside of work? Do you have any hobbies you’d like to share?

I don’t really have a specific hobby, but I love traveling.

I enjoy traveling within Japan and abroad with family and friends to recharge. I especially love spending time surrounded by nature, away from everyday life.

Do you have a message for anyone passionate about working “behind the scenes” in language education?

There are so many exciting and rewarding moments in the work of supporting lessons from behind the scenes.

Moments like when a teacher who headed into class looking nervous comes back with a smile. When you hear cheerful laughter coming from the classroom. When you realize that, as we expand to more campuses, Coto’s lessons are reaching more and more people. These are the moments that make me think, “I’m so glad I do this work.”

I’m really looking forward to working alongside anyone who genuinely wants to support Coto’s lessons and take on new challenges at a new stage.

Ready to join us?

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.