The Nihon Ki-in (日本棋院, Japan Go Association), a public interest incorporated foundation, held an owner exchange and training session for its kindergarten Go promotion project "Igo Friends" (いごフレンズ) at its Tokyo headquarters on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Through ongoing Go classes at kindergartens and certified child centers, the project aims to give children the experience of "the joy of thinking" and to foster their concentration, judgment, and communication skills. This exchange and training meeting was held with the aim of sharing experience in instruction and operations and using it to improve each class. On the day, a total of 11 people took part, including owner-instructors who run classes at their kindergartens, those planning to open classes, project leader and Managing Director Hirofumi Ohashi (大橋拓文), and the operations office, and they shared practical examples of instruction and operations. From Yasuto Asano (浅野康人) of Ittodo Co., Ltd. (株式会社一燈堂), which serves as the operations secretariat, came ideas for teaching young children, such as: • Adapting to each child's level of understanding: While repeating the basic worksheets, give more difficult tasks to children who have fully grasped the material. • Match the child's mood: If a child doesn't want to play a game, don't force them to; instead, change how they participate, such as having them work on a worksheet • Be mindful of comparisons with others: If a child is concerned about how their progress differs from that of other children, reassure them by saying, "It's fine to go at your own pace." and other know-how was introduced. There was also lively discussion of themes directly tied to running a class: how to communicate each child's growth to parents, how to build trust with the kindergarten, how to structure instruction according to the number of students, how to hold trial sessions ahead of the new school year, and how to create an environment where children can keep playing Go after they graduate from kindergarten. The content shared at this event will also be passed on to owner-instructors who were unable to attend on the day, and we will continue working to standardize an instruction and operations model that allows any kindergarten to introduce a Go class with confidence. The Nihon Ki-in (日本棋院) is building a framework with a view to rolling out the program nationwide, drawing on the results and challenges of the project. We will work to spread Go classes that children can enjoy and keep attending, and that also help kindergartens develop a distinctive identity. Participants exchange views on teaching young children and running classes (October 6, Nihon Ki-in Tokyo Headquarters) Event Overview Date and Time Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 3:30–5:30 p.m. Venue Nihon Ki-in Tokyo Headquarters, 4th Floor Participants Owner-instructors, prospective instructors, and project staff (11 in total) Related Articles Launching the "Kindergarten Go Promotion Project 'Igo Friends'" The Three Goals of the Kindergarten Go Promotion Project "Igo Friends" Project Details Igo Friends Official Website Inquiries Kindergarten Go Promotion Project "Igo Friends" (幼稚園囲碁普及プロジェクト「いごフレンズ」) Operations Secretariat: Ittodo Co., Ltd. (株式会社一燈堂) E-mail: kids_pj@nihonkiin.or.jp Shuichi Inada (稲田 修一), Management of Technology (MOT) Specialist, Representative of Joho Mirai Soken (情報未来創研) He has worked on policy planning and technology development at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), covering mobile, security, and information distribution. As a Project Professor at the University of Tokyo, he researched business innovation and value creation through IoT and data utilization. At the Information and Communication Technology Committee (an incorporated association), he worked on promoting standardization. As a professor at Waseda University, he handled research management. Currently, in addition to his consulting work, he serves as a member of the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Foundation's "Tokyo Next-Generation MICE Promotion Council" and as a director of the Nihon Ki-in (Japan Go Association).
