AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Our effort to change education
has earned recognition from society.
What has been recognised is not the awards themselves. It is NIJIN’s effort to stop treating problems in education as someone’s fault, to change them at the level of systems, and to put those changes into practice in society together with children, teachers, companies and local governments.
FEATURED AWARDS
Six awards
that stand for this effort.
Our effort to turn educational choice into a system for society has been recognised in Japan’s social entrepreneurship and startup fields, and also in an international award for young leaders.
The only person from Japan honoured among the ten chosen worldwide. Selected in the “Children, peace & human rights” category.
22nd Courageous Management Award
Grand Prize in the startup category
In response to school non-attendance, a problem in education, NIJIN has put “portable public education”, which combines the metaverse and in-person learning, into practice in society. It was chosen as the single Grand Prize winner from 39 entries in the startup category.
Recognised for: a business model that changes problems in education at the level of systems
2025
Prime Minister’s Encouragement Award
JCI JAPAN TOYP Grand Prix, known in Japan as the youth version of the People’s Honour Award
Recognised for spreading through society the choice that “there is more than one kind of education” and for work that turns school non-attendance into hope, Tatsuro Hoshino received the Grand Prix, the highest honour.
Recognised for: educational choice and social change Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
2025
Organised by Nikkei Inc.
Grand Prix (top prize)
An education model that turns school non-attendance into hope was recognised as a sustainable business for solving a social problem.
Recognised for: social value and business viability Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
2025
QWS STARTUP AWARD 2025
Top Prize
Out of 159 companies that applied, NIJIN was recognised for the growth potential and social impact of a business that solves problems in education.
Recognised for: the growth potential of the business Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
2026
17th Youth Power Award
Youth Leader Support Prize
Recognised for educational work that discovers and protects the individuality of children and young people and develops it into strength for the society to come.
Recognised for: developing the next generation Read the announcement (in Japanese) →GLOBAL RECOGNITION
Selected internationally, too.
StartX, founded out of Stanford University, and University of Cambridge CISL.
In 2026, NIJIN has been accepted onto two overseas expansion programmes that connect it to the United States and the United Kingdom.
Founded out of Stanford University
StartX
STANFORD-BORN ACCELERATOR
To Silicon Valley.
Accepted onto the GSAP AI course (run with StartX)
University of Cambridge
CISL
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
To the UK and Europe.
Accepted onto the X-HUB TOKYO UK course
Education born in Japan, taken to the world. Building on our track record in Japan, we are moving ahead with overseas expansion in the United States and the United Kingdom.
AWARD ARCHIVE
What the awards show:
an effort that keeps widening.
Education, the metaverse, international cooperation, community co-creation, social business. NIJIN’s work has been recognised in different fields and is growing into a movement in which the whole of society builds education.
“100 people of hope who will save the world”
NEXT100 Innovator
Selected as a next-generation innovator bringing new change to society.
Read the article (in Japanese) →
Social Good Catapult,
4th place
Recognised by executives and investors as an education business that changes school non-attendance and the way teachers work at the same time.
Read the article (in Japanese) →
3rd JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers
Commendation for Returned Volunteers’ Contribution to Society
Recognised with the Entrepreneurship Award for carrying the volunteer experience into an education business and for co-creating with companies and local governments.
Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
Japan Metaverse Awards 2025
Social Innovation Award
Recognised for putting into practice support for children not attending school that uses the metaverse to make public education portable.
Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
28th CSO Forum 2025
Runner-up
A model that makes public education portable was recognised as an initiative aiming at social change.
Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
Smart City OSAKA Pitch 2025
Excellence Award
Recognised for the potential to link support for children not attending school and the digital transformation of education to community co-creation with local governments.
Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
Top Prize and
Audience Award
Recognised for the way we face a social problem and for our potential as an education business, we won both awards.
Read the announcement (in Japanese) →
Organised by AGORA
LEVEL UP STAGE 2023 Grand Prix
Recognised for the social value of NIJIN Academy and for our commitment to the education business and ability to carry it out.
Read the announcement (in Japanese) →PROGRAMS & RECOGNITION
Programmes and selections in Japan:
each one a step into practice.
We have refined our business by being accepted, again and again, onto accelerator programmes and startup certifications in Japan, such as ASAC, NEXs Tokyo and S-Startups. That groundwork led to our acceptance onto overseas programmes in the United States and the United Kingdom in 2026.
* Each item links to a separate article on the NIJIN site (in Japanese) covering the background, selection process, recognition and programme details.
CONTACT
Turning recognition into
the power to co-create the education that comes next.
We do not treat awards as the goal. Together with children, teachers, companies and local governments, we will keep widening the work of changing problems in education at the level of systems. We welcome enquiries about media coverage, speaking and working together.