CAREERS
Change educationby changing the system. We can’t do itwithout you.
About NIJIN
We solve education’s problems by building systems, not by blaming people.
NIJIN Inc. is an education company from Japan. Tatsuro Hoshino founded it in 2022, after seven years as a public elementary school teacher, to build a second layer of educational infrastructure alongside school. Our mission is world peace through education.
One of Japan’s largest alternative schools
NIJIN Academy is a hybrid school, online and in person, for children who do not fit conventional school. They learn on a metaverse campus from home and meet in 48 physical classrooms across Japan.
Two teacher communities
We run Jugyo Terrace, a training platform for elementary school teachers, and Chugakko Terrace, a community of junior high school teachers. More than 1,400 teachers have trained with us.
13 education ventures
From a high school programme to an online Japanese-language school and Ranius, our AI teacher-training project. Each venture tackles one problem in education with a working system.
Figures are those published on NIJIN’s official websites.
The school
We made public education portable.
Friends, basic academic skills, exercise and dialogue used to exist only inside a school building. NIJIN Academy delivers them to wherever the child is.
A campus in the metaverse
Children attend from home. There are four campuses, each kept to about 150 children so that everyone can get to know each other, with 100 live classes a month.
A real classroom nearby
48 physical classrooms across Japan, each opened by a local person: a nurse, a parent, a former teacher. Online and in person, the best of both.
A teacher beside each child
Small mixed-age classes with a homeroom teacher. More than 200 people apply to teach each month, and 2 to 3% are accepted.
Watch
See the school as it really is.
Every week the whole school meets in a live homeroom, hosted by the children themselves. Nothing explains NIJIN Academy better.
CCThe videos are in Japanese. To watch in English, turn on subtitles, then open Settings, choose Subtitles, Auto-translate and English.
Live · Whole-school homeroomThe weekly homeroom, hosted by the students and streamed live.
TV Asahi30-minute feature on NIJIN
Principal and studentA student who thought he did not fit into society now talks about his dreams
Award finalThe final pitch for the Courageous Management Award
NIJIN AcademyThe school in under three minutesMore on YouTube: NIJIN Academy live homeroomsPrincipal Tatsuro’s channel
Be HAPPY, Do HAPPY
Everyone has the power to be happy, and the power to make others happy.
This is the philosophy of NIJIN Academy. It is the one thing that must be the same in every country.
Founder
It started in Guatemala.
Tatsuro Hoshino has seen education fail children in two opposite ways, on two sides of the world. NIJIN is his answer to both. Now he is looking for the people who will give that answer in their own countries.
Tatsuro HoshinoFounder and CEO, NIJIN Inc. Principal of NIJIN Academy.
“They want to learn, but they cannot.”
As a JICA overseas cooperation volunteer, he worked to widen access to education for children in Guatemala.
“They can learn, but school does not fit them.”
For seven years he taught at a public elementary school in Japan, and watched children lose hope inside the classroom.
Don’t blame people. Build systems.
He left teaching and founded NIJIN, to build a second layer of educational infrastructure alongside school.
Recognition
Recognised in Japan, and internationally.
What these awards recognise is not one school or one teacher. It is the work of rebuilding education as a system, together with children, teachers, companies and local governments.
Junior Chamber International (JCI)
Our founder Tatsuro Hoshino was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World.
He is the only person from Japan honoured in 2026, selected in the category “Children, peace & human rights”.
Prime Minister’s Encouragement Award
Grand Prix of JCI JAPAN TOYP 2025, known in Japan as the youth version of the People’s Honour Award.
Courageous Management Award, Grand Prize
Startup category of the 22nd award by the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. One company chosen from 39.
NIKKEI THE PITCH SOCIAL, Grand Prix
Organised by Nikkei Inc. Recognised as a sustainable business that solves a social problem.
Forbes JAPAN NEXT100
Tatsuro Hoshino was selected as one of the “100 people of hope who will save the world”.
GSAP AI course, with StartX
Accepted onto the overseas programme of JETRO and Japan’s Cabinet Office. The accelerator is StartX, born at Stanford University.
X-HUB TOKYO, UK course
Accepted onto the programme of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, run by JETRO. The partner is CISL at the University of Cambridge.
As featured in
TV Asahi30-minute feature on NIJIN’s education
NHKHow a child’s smile came back
Nikkei MJTaking school to the children- NHK
- TV Asahi
- Forbes JAPAN
- Nikkei MJ
- Toyo Keizai Online
- TOKYO FM
- J-WAVE
- 20 newspapers across Japan
See all awards and media coverage (in Japanese)
Is this you?
This role is for people who think, “Someone has to do this. It should be me.”
- You want to start a business of your own, not just take a job.
- You know children in your country whom school does not fit, and you cannot look away.
- You have led people: you have managed an organisation and hired a team.
- You would rather build on a model proven with 900+ children than start from zero.
Open roles
Bring this school to your country.
We are looking for people outside Japan who want to start a business and solve an education problem at the same time.
NIJIN Academy Country Head
Found and lead NIJIN Academy in your country, as its business head and its principal. The school carries the name of your country, such as NIJIN Academy India.
- RoleBusiness head and principal of NIJIN Academy in your country
- CompensationAs a guide, 10% of revenue, up to JPY 50 million
- We look forLeadership, management, business ability and the skills of a principal
- ExperienceTeaching experience is not required. Experience in managing an organisation and in hiring helps.
- OwnershipWe set up a local company together. You hold 20% of the shares and NIJIN holds 80%.
- Starting capitalAs a guide, you invest JPY 1 to 2 million and NIJIN invests JPY 4 to 8 million. We decide the amounts with you.
- LanguagesIdeally your country’s official language, English and Japanese. English alone is fine.
Ranius: research collaboration and pro bono work
Ranius trains teachers online with AI and is preparing a non-inferiority trial that starts in December 2026.
- WhoResearchers, engineers and professionals
- Time2 to 5 hours a week, pro bono
Country Head pages by country
How to apply
Three steps. No CV needed to start.
Choose a role
Read the page for the role and for your country.
Apply in English
Use the form on that page. It takes a few minutes.
Online interview
We talk about you, your country and the terms that are not written on the page.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q.Do I need teaching experience?
A.No. We look for leadership, management, business ability and the skills of a principal. Experience in managing an organisation and in hiring is useful.
Q.Which languages do I need?
A.Ideally three: the official language of your country, English and Japanese. For example, in Taiwan that means Mandarin, English and Japanese. But English alone is enough to apply and to start.
Q.How is compensation decided?
A.As a guide, 10% of revenue (excluding consumption tax). When revenue is JPY 500 million or more, the amount is capped at JPY 50 million. It is a guide, and you shape it with us. If you hand part of the Country Head’s work to someone else, that person is paid from the same 10%.
Q.My country is not on the list. Can I apply?
A.Yes. The four country pages are examples. Apply from the general Country Head page and tell us which country you want to lead.
Q.What will the school be called?
A.NIJIN Academy plus the name of your country. For example, NIJIN Academy India.
Q.What about contract type, location and start date?
A.They are not set out on the page. We decide them with you in the interview, because they differ from country to country.
Q.Can I help without leading a country?
A.Yes. Ranius is open to research collaborators and to professionals who can give 2 to 5 hours a week pro bono.