[DATAREIN Corporation] Redirecting Labor to the Frontlines: How the AI School \"Mirai\" for Children is Reforming Japanese Industry

A 21-Year-Old's Patriotism and the Stigma Against Essential Manual Labor

Hello, everyone. My name is Ryoja Yoshikawa, Representative Director of DATAREIN Corporation. It is a pleasure to be here. Rather than focusing on numbers and slides today, I want to deliver my raw passion and vision directly to you.

I am currently 21 years old, and I pride myself on having stronger patriotism than anyone else in my generation. Through my business activities in Malaysia and Vietnam, I have experienced firsthand how highly people abroad value the unique strengths of the Japanese people. Yet, in Japan today, it seems people have lost their self-confidence. This is likely because the domestic economy has stagnated, creating a collective sense of decline.

I firmly believe that Japan's true competitive edge does not lie in its "white-collar" sector. As the founder of an AI company, I am a white-collar worker myself, which is why I realize how easily white-collar tasks can be automated. Japan's real strength lies in its primary industries (agriculture, fishing) and secondary industries (manufacturing, construction).

Despite the nationwide panic over labor shortages, Japan has a population of 130 million in a relatively small territory. The physical labor force itself is not lacking. The root problem is that there are too many white-collar workers, combined with a cultural stigma. Young people today suffer from a warped mindset that deems manual labor in agriculture or factories as "uncool" or a step down. We aim to demolish this bias through early-stage education and redirect highly skilled talent to the frontlines of Japanese industry.

Homemaker Mentors and Early AI Education: Reforming the Compulsory Curriculum

We currently operate "Mirai" (Future), an extracurricular academy that teaches AI to elementary and junior high school students.

While teaching AI to kids might sound like basic coding classes, AI is merely a gateway. What we truly teach are the fundamental skills that Japan's compulsory education fails to cover: high communication capability, digital literacy, problem-solving, and a mindset of continuous learning.

A key differentiator of Mirai is the recruitment of homemakers as student mentors.

Based on my tutoring experience, when college students tutor children, the younger students tend to posture, trying to look smart rather than showing their true struggles. Homemakers, however, act as nurturing, empathetic mentors. Students feel safe opening up about their challenges without pretense, allowing us to unlock their individual potential through our specialized curriculum.

We have already obtained endorsements from the prefectural and city boards of education in Aichi and Nagoya, positioning Mirai as a reliable educational infrastructure.

Replacing Idle Corporate Overhead: Accelerating National Expansion via Franchising

Our long-term vision is to replace unproductive corporate white-collar workers with the highly skilled digital talent we nurture at Mirai. By automating tasks that currently require ten people down to just one or two AI-literate specialists, we can release surplus labor back to Japan's primary and secondary industries.

Given Japan's rigid labor laws, large corporations cannot easily lay off white-collar workers. Therefore, alongside our AI implementation consultancy, we provide a complete restructuring package that trains and redirects surplus corporate staff to manufacturing and primary operations.

Our business model lowers barriers for local families by keeping tuition low. The headquarters operates online lectures and curriculum development, while expansion is executed via a franchise (FC) model to capture national market share rapidly. We have already completed or are finalizing FC contracts in Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, and Kanagawa.

AI education is a speed game where first-mover advantages dictate the winner. While adult AI academies and side-hustle courses are abundant, there is no organizational competitor teaching AI to children in Japan. We are currently raising 100 million JPY to scale our franchise network and secure market dominance.

By reforming Japanese education and revitalizing our essential industries, we will put the Japanese economy back on a growth trajectory. We look forward to partnering with angel investors and business allies. Thank you.

Q&A and Feedback

Mr. Ogawa (Commentator): Thank you, Yoshikawa-san. I am impressed by your high energy and unique perspective on returning to primary and secondary industries.

I understand you also run an electric motorcycle business in Vietnam. How do you plan to manage both businesses, and how will investors view this dual commitment?

Mr. Yoshikawa: I am based in Japan and manage the Vietnamese business on a travel basis, backed by a strong local team. My main focus and commitment are centered on scaling this AI education business in Japan.

Mr. Ogawa: Understood. However, institutional venture capital (VC) firms typically impose strict "exclusivity clauses" on directors. Running two separate businesses in different countries could be a red flag for VCs. I recommend focusing your efforts on securing funds from angel investors first, as they are generally more flexible.

Regarding the business, what is the competitive landscape for children's AI education, and why target children instead of adults?

Mr. Yoshikawa: Trying to teach AI to adults is inefficient because their thinking patterns and status-quo biases are already fixed. As a Gen-Z founder, I know that digital literacy must be taught during elementary and junior high school years to achieve real reform.

Currently, no organizational competitor is expanding a franchise network for children's AI education. That is why it is critical for us to scale and capture the national market immediately.

Mr. Ogawa: Your youth is a powerful asset. The ambition to strengthen Japan's essential industries through education is highly commendable. I hope you accelerate your national expansion.

Mr. Yoshikawa: Thank you. I am ready to shake up the industry.