Seijiro Yato Appointed as New Director at Hoiku Design Institute
Sakura Saku Plus Co., Ltd., based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is pleased to announce that Seijiro Yato will assume the role of director at Hoiku Design Institute from April 1, 2026. The company is dedicated to supporting working families and enhancing childcare services through its licensed childcare institutions.
Yato brings extensive knowledge and experience in the field of childcare, having previously served as a training advisor for Hoiku Design Institute. His new position as a director will enable him to integrate academic insights directly into the management and training aspects of the organization, aiming for further improvement in corporate value.
Hoiku Design Institute focuses on improving childcare quality through various initiatives, including online and in-person training, teacher training programs, and hosting symposiums aimed at childcare workers and businesses. Additionally, they provide consulting services and career development training for local governments and childcare operators to enhance practical skills on the ground, thus ensuring safer and higher-quality childcare environments.
To achieve its goal of quality improvement in childcare, Hoiku Design Institute collaborates with various organizations and local governments to tailor ideal training plans, using the best instructors and suitable training styles. Yato, aside from his academic duties, has conducted numerous training sessions and lectures across childcare facilities and municipalities nationwide.
With Yato's vast network of excellent instructors developed throughout Japan, Hoiku Design Institute can offer high-quality training uniformly across all regions. This positions the organization to foster powerful synergies within the Sakura Saku Group, particularly through training opportunities in childcare facilities managed by Sakura Saku Mirai Co., Ltd. Yato is committed to rapidly disseminating innovative practices supported by the latest knowledge and experiences to the field.
The group remains focused on efforts to enhance childcare quality, providing opportunities for personnel development within childcare facilities, thus contributing to a society where parents can safely entrust their children to childcare services while balancing work and family life.
Previous Position: Professor at Yayo Women's University
Expertise: Childcare Studies, Education
The Sakura Saku Group, led by Sakura Saku Mirai Co., Ltd. (https://www.sakura-39.jp/), operates numerous childcare facilities, primarily in Tokyo, with a focus on providing solutions to the needs of working families. The company develops and expands services necessary for the ever-growing number of working families in Japan.
Company Name: Sakura Saku Plus Co., Ltd.
CEO: Takashi Nakayama
Established: August 2017
Capital: 589,019,430 JPY (as of July 2025)
Headquarters: 2-2 Yurakucho 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Toho Hibiya Building
Company URL: https://www.sakurasakuplus.jp/
Company Name: Hoiku Design Institute Co., Ltd.
CEO: Ryusuke Akane
Established: January 21, 2016
Capital: 30,000,000 JPY
Headquarters: 7th Floor, Shonan ND Building, 109-6 Fujisawa, Kanagawa
Company URL: https://hoiku-design.co.jp/
Business Focus: Comprehensive support for childcare operators and local governments, operational consulting, training planning and implementation.
Yato brings extensive knowledge and experience in the field of childcare, having previously served as a training advisor for Hoiku Design Institute. His new position as a director will enable him to integrate academic insights directly into the management and training aspects of the organization, aiming for further improvement in corporate value.
Background of Appointment and Expected Impact
Hoiku Design Institute focuses on improving childcare quality through various initiatives, including online and in-person training, teacher training programs, and hosting symposiums aimed at childcare workers and businesses. Additionally, they provide consulting services and career development training for local governments and childcare operators to enhance practical skills on the ground, thus ensuring safer and higher-quality childcare environments.
To achieve its goal of quality improvement in childcare, Hoiku Design Institute collaborates with various organizations and local governments to tailor ideal training plans, using the best instructors and suitable training styles. Yato, aside from his academic duties, has conducted numerous training sessions and lectures across childcare facilities and municipalities nationwide.
With Yato's vast network of excellent instructors developed throughout Japan, Hoiku Design Institute can offer high-quality training uniformly across all regions. This positions the organization to foster powerful synergies within the Sakura Saku Group, particularly through training opportunities in childcare facilities managed by Sakura Saku Mirai Co., Ltd. Yato is committed to rapidly disseminating innovative practices supported by the latest knowledge and experiences to the field.
The group remains focused on efforts to enhance childcare quality, providing opportunities for personnel development within childcare facilities, thus contributing to a society where parents can safely entrust their children to childcare services while balancing work and family life.
Profile of Seijiro Yato
Previous Position: Professor at Yayo Women's University
Expertise: Childcare Studies, Education
- - April 1993: Lecturer and Associate Professor, Okayama Junior College
- - April 2001: Associate Professor, Niimi Public Junior College
- - August 2003: Visiting Researcher, State University of New York (Ministry of Education Overseas Researcher until June 2004)
- - April 2007: Professor, Aichi Tohso University
- - April 2013: Professor, Okazaki Women's University
- - September 2019: Professor, Yayo Women's University
Current Roles in Major Childcare Organizations
- - Executive Director, National Childcare Provider Training Association
- - Board Member, Japan Society of Child Care Studies
- - Director, Japan Society for Education in Childcare
- - Board Member, Non-profit Pacific Rim Early Childhood Education Association, Japan Branch
- - Director, Japan Private Nursery Federation
- - Board Member, Japan Childcare Association
- - Councilor, Mother and Child Healing Association
Key Publications
- - Transforming Childcare through In-house Training A to Z (2024, Froebel-kan)
- - Improving Childcare Quality to Prevent Inappropriate Care! - Insights from Consultation Cases and Institutional Practices (2025, Child Publishing, Co-authored)
- - Building Teams to Enhance Childcare Quality - Supporting Growth of Institutions and Educators (2017, Wakaba Publishing)
- - Tokigatari: Takashi Mutoh’s 'Circulation of Love and Knowledge' - Towards Generative and Emergent Childcare (2025, Chuohoki, Co-authored)
- - And many more.
Company Overview
The Sakura Saku Group, led by Sakura Saku Mirai Co., Ltd. (https://www.sakura-39.jp/), operates numerous childcare facilities, primarily in Tokyo, with a focus on providing solutions to the needs of working families. The company develops and expands services necessary for the ever-growing number of working families in Japan.
Company Name: Sakura Saku Plus Co., Ltd.
CEO: Takashi Nakayama
Established: August 2017
Capital: 589,019,430 JPY (as of July 2025)
Headquarters: 2-2 Yurakucho 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Toho Hibiya Building
Company URL: https://www.sakurasakuplus.jp/
Company Name: Hoiku Design Institute Co., Ltd.
CEO: Ryusuke Akane
Established: January 21, 2016
Capital: 30,000,000 JPY
Headquarters: 7th Floor, Shonan ND Building, 109-6 Fujisawa, Kanagawa
Company URL: https://hoiku-design.co.jp/
Business Focus: Comprehensive support for childcare operators and local governments, operational consulting, training planning and implementation.
Topics People & Culture）
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