What kind of future will Woven City's "invention by multiplication" reveal? Here is part two of our interviews with five Inventor companies.
Zoshinkai Holdings: Creating child-centered excellence in education
Zoshinkai Holdings Inc. (hereinafter “Z-kai Group") is an operator of educational services such as correspondence education and classroom lessons. Headquartered in Shizuoka Prefecture, where Woven City is located, the company will seek to create “new learning environments” and “advanced educational styles through data utilization.”
As part of creating “new learning environments,” Z-kai plans to open a nursery school (non-licensed childcare facility) in Woven City from this fall. The company is also looking to open an after-school care facility in fiscal 2026 or beyond.
These Z-kai Inventive Schools, as they are known, are grounded in Montessori education.
Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori promoted this method. Based on the idea that children have the ability to educate themselves, this approach is not about one-sided, one-size-fits-all instruction by teachers (adults). The method instead allows children to select and engage in activities that spark their interest, giving them a greater sense of accomplishment and confidence while also fostering independence and autonomy.
The teacher’s role is to establish environments that bring out a child’s natural eagerness to learn and develop. They serve as a bridge to this environment, observing and providing assistance as needed.
With Montessori education as a base, the Z-kai Group will create new learning environments by combining its strengths with those of Toyota and Woven City.
As an example of the company’s second objective—creating “advanced educational styles through data utilization”—Z-kai envisions using WbyT’s AI tools for processing video data to document and analyze children’s activities in Woven City.
Such technology will allow Z-kai to grasp the developmental stages of children through not only the subjective views of teachers and nursery staff, but also objective data. Educators will also be able to visually compare and evaluate growth in the hard-to-quantify domain of non-cognitive skills, such as concentration and perseverance, making it easier to bring parents on board.
Manami Akashi’s work brings her in contact with children in Z-kai’s nurseries. She recalls hearing about the Woven City trials for the first time. “I strongly felt that we should be basing our assistance not only on subjective ideas or experience, but reasons inferred from objective evidence (data). I remember feeling very excited that we might be able to make this happen.”
Woven City also seems to be ideally suited to establishing environments where children can drive their own learning and development, a key element of Montessori education. Keiichiro Yoshida, who is himself a qualified nursery teacher and manages school operations, outlined the city’s unique appeal.
Yoshida
I think the fact that children can be inspired by a diverse group of adults, including Inventors, Weavers, and WbyT personnel, makes it very appealing as an educational environment.
The motivation at Toyota and WbyT is to work “for someone other than ourselves,” and I hope that encountering adults who embody those words will cultivate in the children a similar desire to learn and invent for the future, for the benefit of others.
When visiting Woven City, Akashi likewise envisioned a future of children interacting with Inventors.
Akashi
When I imagined them walking around city, I sensed that children would have many opportunities to see adults testing things in a safe environment and gain their own discoveries and insights.
You can really see all sorts of possibilities here. I hope that being exposed to a place where possibilities are born will instill confidence and teach children to work hard toward their goals.
On the other hand, if the education trials don’t go well, won’t the children be missing out on opportunities to grow? As one of the people preparing and developing educational content for Z-kai’s schools, Yoshida addressed these concerns.
Yoshida
At the Z-kai Group, our philosophy is “Excellence in education for future global leaders,” and in the 93 years since the company’s founding we have cultivated the fundamental know-how for providing instruction.
At Woven City, we will build on this know-how and combine it with Toyota’s outstanding advanced technologies related to mobility. We are confident that this will enable us to create new value through wonderful educational experiences, so please rest assured.
What kind of new learning environments will emerge when Toyota’s technologies and the collective expertise of Woven City’s residents are added to the Z-kai Group’s established excellence in education?
One thing is for certain: both Akashi and Yoshida are “very excited” to see the new schools open.
Together, the sky's the limit
Air conditioning, vending machines, food, coffee, and education.
The five Inventors will use Woven City to test new ideas in these fields.
Despite working in different sectors, the words of everyone involved revealed a strong passion for their products and services, from DyDo’s “vending machine otaku” to the “coffee-crazy” team at UCC.
Just as the car lovers at Toyota are committed to ever-better carmaking, these companies are constantly aiming higher.
We began the previous article with a quote from Chairman Akio Toyoda’s CES 2025 speech. That speech continued as follows:
“We think of it as invention by kakezan, or invention by multiplication. Because when it comes to what's possible when we work together, the sky's the limit!”
This gives a new meaning to “Toyota times…”
Who will be next to accept Akio’s “official invitation to join us at Woven City,” and take their place in the multiplication formula? The future awaits in Woven City.
