KCJ Group Co., Ltd., KidZania’s operator in Japan, and KDDI Corporation, mobile carrier company, will work together to further create edutainment experiences that will enrich children’s future in that market.
As Makoto Takahashi, President and Representative Director of KDDI mentioned: “With this partnership, we’ll combine KCJ Group’s experience in edutainment and KDDI’s expertise in advanced technologies to support the empowerment of children, nurture their curiosity and encourage them to learn about the world of work in a fun way.”
This extensive partnership focuses on three key objectives. First, both organizations will originate learning opportunities that will encourage kids to develop their skills through advanced technologies, like 5g or IoT. Moreover, these new role-playing activities will further improve the experiential value of all the establishments at KidZania.
Einosuke Sumitani, President and CEO of KCJ Group stated: “Through an all-embracing partnership with a top-level information and communication company as KDDI, and by actively incorporating a global business perspective, we are aiming to assist in the development of the generation that will be in charge of the next era, and will be capable of contributing to the international community in a positive way.”
This partnership also aims to contribute to KidZania’s development in Japan by promoting the collaboration with local governmental institutions and develop regional programs that highlight traditional industrial experiences in this territory. Furthermore, both organizations will encourage the collaboration between advanced technologies and primary industries in role-playing activities that emphasize on the best features of every sector, while delivering top-quality edutainment experiences for children aged 1-14.
Another exciting result of this venture is KidZania’s expansion in Japan with plans to open a third KidZania City in this territory, in Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), by 2020. This facility joins 12 other KidZania Metropolis in different stages of development around the world, in countries like Qatar, South Africa, France, Canada, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Costa Rica, among others.
Both companies will work hand in hand to continue strengthening KidZania’s positioning in Japan and continue developing edutainment experiences that will enrich their hearts and minds, while getting them ready to become committed global citizens.
* As of October 1, 2018, KDDI acquired majority of the shares of KCJ GROUP.