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That concept has remained central as HelloWorld has grown—but its scale and context have changed. With the opening of its Tokyo office, the company has moved from a regional pilot to a more complex urban testing ground. According to Takahashi Yu, a manager in HelloWorld's Business Alliance Division, Tokyo represents an appealing opportunity. "Tokyo has an unmatched concentration of international residents," Takahashi says. "That means more host families from more countries, and more opportunities for children and students to encounter different cultures in a natural, everyday setting."
Tokyo's role in HelloWorld's expansion is not simply about size. It is about density—of people, ideas, and institutions. The city is home to residents from nearly every country and region, as well as embassies, international schools, universities, and municipal governments increasingly focused on global education and diversity. For HelloWorld, this creates an environment where its programs can be tested across a wide range of age groups and contexts.
In Tokyo, HelloWorld has expanded the reach of its existing programs, including Machinaka Ryugaku and Machinaka ENGLISH QUEST, by working with a broader range of partners such as schools, local governments, and corporations. Machinaka ENGLISH QUEST emphasizes task-based learning, encouraging participants to use English to solve problems or complete shared activities rather than focusing on grammar alone. "Even children who are not confident in English begin to engage when communication has a purpose," Takahashi says.
The company's digital platform, WorldClassroom, reflects a similar shift. Designed for use in schools, it combines AI-supported speaking practice with live online exchange between classrooms in different countries. By integrating technology into international exchange, HelloWorld aims to lower barriers for schools while also reducing the workload on teachers. As of 2025, WorldClassroom has been introduced in hundreds of schools nationwide through partnerships with local education boards.
HelloWorld's expansion into Tokyo marked a deliberate step toward the company's next phase of growth. That move was shaped by its participation in the NEXs Tokyo acceleration program, a Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) startup initiative focused on building cross-regional business collaboration. Selected for the program's sixth cohort in 2023, the company gained more than workspace or visibility.
"For us, NEXs Tokyo was about access," Takahashi explains. "It connected us with other startups, large companies, and municipal partners who were already thinking about education, technology, and social impact." Those connections helped HelloWorld refine how it communicates its value—not just as an education provider, but as a partner for cities and institutions looking to foster global-minded communities.
While pushing rapid growth, NEXs Tokyo encouraged startups to think about sustainability and adaptability. For HelloWorld—entering Tokyo with a clear ambition for rapid growth—this meant not simply adjusting its programs, but gaining opportunities to discover new forms of collaboration that could support scaling. Those relationships broadened the company's strategic options, enabling it to pursue growth in ways that remain aligned with its long‑standing commitment to accessibility.
While Tokyo has become a central base, HelloWorld's outlook is not limited to the capital—or to Japan alone. Alongside domestic expansion, the company has begun exploring opportunities overseas, including early-stage initiatives connected to Taiwan. Takahashi frames this not as a pivot, but as a natural extension of the company's approach.
"Tokyo allows us to refine our model in a highly international environment," she says. "From there, we can think about how it might work in other places." The focus remains on regional connection rather than one-way mobility—linking communities through shared experiences, whether online or in person.
By treating international exchange as something that can be localized and adapted, HelloWorld hopes to avoid the pitfalls of traditional study abroad models that often privilege a small segment of students. Expansion, in this sense, is less about geography than about replicability.
HelloWorld's appearance at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025, Asia's largest global innovation conference, hosted by the TMG and others, marked another step in positioning education as part of Tokyo's broader innovation ecosystem. Unlike overseas tech conferences the company has attended, SusHi Tech Tokyo brought together startups, governments, and researchers in a way that emphasized social impact alongside technological advancement.
As a first-time exhibitor, HelloWorld chose to highlight its services as experiential platforms rather than edtech products alone. "We wanted visitors to understand that innovation can also mean changing how people interact," Takahashi says. The response, particularly from international attendees and embassy representatives, reinforced the company's belief that education-focused startups have a role to play in conversations about future cities.
At its core, HelloWorld's work challenges assumptions about how global awareness is built. Rather than positioning international exchange as an exceptional experience, the company treats it as something that can—and should—be woven into everyday life.
Tokyo, with its layered communities and institutional networks, has become a proving ground for that idea. From there, HelloWorld is gradually extending its reach, guided by a belief that meaningful connection does not depend on distance traveled, but on opportunities created.
As Takahashi puts it, "If children grow up seeing international exchange as normal, it changes how they see the world—and their place in it."
SusHi Tech Tokyo, short for Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo, is a Tokyo-based concept that leverages high technology to help create a sustainable city, delivering messages at home and abroad showcasing Tokyo's comprehensive attractiveness, and the challenges of resolving urban issues.SusHi Tech Tokyo | Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo
