Shinto Mitsunaga: Helping Japanese people break the language barrier and challenge opportunities abroad

Learning new languages widens your range of options and modifies your worldview. However, if you are proficient in English, it may create several prospects for you in a professional setting and personal life. With increasing globalization, English has become an essential medium of communication, with demonstrated benefits to being fluent in it. But even in this age of globalization, only a small percentage of Japanese people use English in their daily lives. Research has shown that only a small proportion of the Japanese population can speak and understand English with no limitations. For the majority of the population, this doesn’t cause a problem in their daily lives. However, given its rapidly aging and declining population, being proficient in English would help them form alliances and partnerships with foreign establishments in business, research, higher education, and science and technology.

They may also have an impact on perceptions of foreigners. If Japanese people could interact, relate to, and empathize with foreigners, it would reduce the discrimination against them. English has long been taught in Japanese educational institutions using the grammar-translation approach, which, at best, is ineffective. Shinto Mitsunaga, President of Weblio Philippines, Inc., is exploring this avenue, helping children in Japan become more acquainted with English for communication. 

Born and raised in Japan, Shinto had to face his own struggles in communicating in English, which became a major catalyst in his entrepreneurial journey. In our exclusive edition, “Trailblazing Entrepreneurs of the Year – 2023,” we are proud to feature his journey to empowering Japanese people to break language barriers and unlock their potential. 

A Struggle that Catalysed a Profound Vision

“You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way illuminate the world” – Oprah Winfrey

Shinto’s journey at Weblio Philippines, Inc. is a manifestation of his own struggle to communicate in English. He, in fact, came to hate for a very long time. During his college years at Waseda University in Tokyo, he invested the majority of his time into practicing Baseball over academics. At 21, his life took an unexpected turn as he travelled to Sri Lanka to teach Baseball. Because of his weak grasp of English, he needed a translator. But, as the translator wasn’t well-versed in Baseball, it was challenging to communicate with players. To overcome this struggle, Shinto decided to overcome his language barrier and become adept in communicative English.

At the age of 22, he moved to Toronto and started learning English. With time, as he got more competent, he was amazed how this newfound skill is helping him to connect with people from diverse backgrounds. This transformative experience helped him realize the significance of English in becoming globally competitive. As a matter of fact, he began thinking how helping others in his country learn English can help them explore the world and make a difference. “I wanted more and more people of Japan to have the same sense of achievement as I had,” says Shinto. 

With a clear vision in mind, he returned to Japan and began scouting for an opportunity to inspire and educate a young generation of Japan to learn English. After spending a brief stint in a big manufacturing company, his passion eventually took him to Weblio Philippines, Inc., a subsidiary of GRAS Group (A leading provider of school lessons to junior high schools and high schools in Japan), with its head office in Tokyo, Japan. Joining in 2018 as the President, Shinto has helped the company become a critical point for anyone willing to expand their expertise in English and become more influential and competitive in the global market. 

Helping people expand their possibilities

Being aware of the struggles of learning English as a non-native speaker, Shinto joined Weblio Philippines, Inc. to help the Japanese overcome this challenge. The company was already working towards expanding mankind’s possibilities by providing customized and affordable learning tools such as an online dictionary in Japan, vocabulary checkers, personal vocab lists, and translators. In 2014, it launched English tutorial services, taking small but steady steps in the AI world. 

While these made Weblio Philippines, Inc. an invaluable centre for learning English, Shinto knew this wasn’t enough. The majority of the population of Japan is shy and scared to speak English. He knew these people would require proper guidance to explore opportunities abroad. As such, he helped the company establish a niche for one-to-one online English classes. This focused approach, as opposed to the traditional classroom model, gave the tutors a better understanding of a student’s strengths and weaknesses and how to improve them. It is also significantly less expensive than hiring a tutor who speaks only English.

The majority of Weblio Philippines, Inc. tutors are Filipino, and everyone aligns with their leader’s vision. The company works with junior and senior high school students and sends about 25 salespeople to these institutions every day. In 5 years of his leadership, his company has satisfied a huge number of clients, practicing spoken English with foreigners online. “Today, our clients are not only interested in learning how to speak English but also want to feel significant improvements,” says Shinto.

Always on their toes

While Weblio Philippines, Inc. is constantly striving to make a lasting impact in the minds and hearts of Japanese youth, it’s not solely doing so. Previously, English was taught only as a translation system in Japan, but as digitization and mindsets toward the language have grown, more people are entering this sector. As a premier player, Shinto has ensured Weblio Philippines, Inc. is aware of the market trends. Shinto adds, “We specifically focus on why and how to be more inclined with our goals.” In the last few years, Japan has been focusing on the importance of English speaking. In schools and universities, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan has established guidelines for students to learn English like an integral skill. This change has stirred a revolution, welcoming a wave of competitors in the market.

Even so, Weblio Philippines, Inc. earns a bonus point for its scalable engagement. Its vast brigade of tutors is one of the key USPs that sets it apart. A typical Japanese class has about 40 students, and 30 to 40 classes use their educational programs, meaning that around 1000 to 1200 tutors work at the same time. Shinto proudly states that their giant brigade of tutors is unmatched, which shows their capacity to accept an ever-increasing clientele. Also, they provide flexible booking schedules, which positions them a notch above their peers.  

Innovative and adaptable at the same time

We know Japan for setting benchmarks in technological advancements and unyielding pursuit of excellence, and so is Weblio Philippines, Inc. While keeping up with market trends, it places a premium on technological advancements. As a tech-driven company, it is proficient in technological innovations and constantly enhancing its offerings for better customer satisfaction. A paradigm of their excellence in innovation is their Dictionary. This online platform offers a gamut of services, including English translation, vocabulary diagnosis, reading English text content, workbooks, online English conversation, TOEIC practice problems, Disabled Welfare Child English conversion, and much more. The platform further provides premium services that can help people improve their English.

On top of this, Weblio Philippines, Inc. has designed its proprietary online tutoring platform. Shinto explains that 5 years ago when their English tutoring services were at infancy, Japanese speakers of the language were largely content with their meagre knowledge. However, over the course of the last five years, an increasing number of people have expressed a desire to become more fluent. This shift reveals a great deal about Shinto’s philosophy of “Expanding mankind’s possibilities.” It has inspired him to keep coming up with new ideas and goals. Students can actively participate in class and use relevant resources, such as the dictionary, with their new platform.

Shinto wholeheartedly believes in ‘Autonomy & and independence.’ “It’s not just about following the tutor’s instructions, but everyone should have a sense of ownership and understanding of their lessons,” says Shinto. Students can take lessons and convert, learn vocabulary, or find definitions of certain things by themselves. In this way, Weblio Philippines, Inc. is not only setting an example of its technological prowess but also teaching students to be diligent and self-reliant at the same time.

Leading with an unyielding resolve 

“It is not the strongest that survive nor the most intelligent but the one most responsive to change.” As creative and determined as Shinto is to make his vision a reality, he refuses to give up when things get tough. Take the scenario of COVID-19, for example. As the viral outbreak disrupted the global economy, the Philippines, like every other nation – announced a lockdown. Shinto and his team were now in the dark, but he wasn’t willing to quit or give up on his ambition. Being experienced in taking online classes, they soon started working remotely, and this not only saved them but also brought new opportunities. Many people lost their jobs because of the outbreak, so they had a lot of applicants for home-based tutors. Adapting to the new environment was challenging, but in the end, it allowed them to develop. As of now, Weblio Philippines has a team of 2,000 tutors, which is not short of a commendable milestone. 

Keeping the team on track

It is now abundantly clear that Shinto regards Weblio Philippines, Inc. as more than just a company. Each team member is essential to keeping the business on track with their shared vision because they work as a cohesive unit. As an example, their dedicated sales team works tirelessly to bring in new customers and create enduring relationships, while their committed customer service department makes sure customers can plan English classes with effectiveness and convenience. A top-notch tutoring staff is also in charge of guaranteeing that clients have the best educational experience possible. As dedicated as the team is to their work, Shinto ensures they are always motivated and active. “I always try to share my experience about Toronto and Sri Lanka and how it resonates with the Japanese People,” opines Shinto. Understanding the difficulties faced by Japanese learners of English, he inspires them to reach their goals. After all, their assistance aids students in discovering new possibilities outside of national borders.

During the COVID outbreak Shinto made many efforts to express his heartfelt admiration for the crucial role of these tutors. He personally visited over 500 tutors in the Philippines and invited many of them to Japan to learn more about its people, culture, and how their work is impacting the lives of many Japanese. In fact, Shinto reportedly said that they are planning to organize a ‘big event’ in Nov-Dec ‘23 and invite 200 tutors to show their appreciation and celebrate the occasion with grandeur. These efforts encourage the team to excel in performance and be persistent in their purpose.

A persona of the 1% Club

Shinto’s unwavering dedication to the welfare of his tutors and those they teach is evidence of his outstanding leadership and profound respect for the capacity for change in education. He became the President of Weblio Philippines, Inc. at 27 and has been persistent in his mission to help Japanese people overcome their language barrier. When asked about what motivates him, he responded that perseverance makes one of the “1%” people. He explained that 10,000 people think about starting something, 100 people may start, but only 1 will actually see it through. While he does not boast about his leadership qualities, his colleagues often compliment on his commitment to his work. However, he believes in autonomy and independence and ensures that the team always have a proper balance between work and personal life.

And the ambitious project of teaching English to more Japanese continues…

Shinto set out on his voyage to help his people overcome their language barriers and inspire the next generation to pursue big dreams. They have seized the lion’s share of the Japanese market in just five years. While this is certainly something to be proud of, according to Shinto, the true accomplishment is their emphasis on transforming lives. For the time being, they intend to equip growing numbers of Japanese with a command of English, but in the long run, they aim to impact and extend beyond Japan in order to empower people everywhere. In a nutshell, he wants to drive a meaningful impact using the power of English fluency on his community and the world. While he knows he cannot accomplish this alone, he is confident that with the help of his ensemble of like-minded individuals, it will be possible soon.  

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