Kaho Fujikawa)| Logiglish Inc.

Co-Founder, Chief Logiglish

Kaho Fujikawa

She graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Osaka City University (now Osaka Metropolitan University).

During high school and university, she actively participated in English debate and won numerous awards despite having no long-term overseas experience, including a national championship title. English debate, which involves discussing a wide range of social issues in English, was essentially a form of EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction).

She serves as the President and Representative Director at the company’s headquarters in Japan.

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How was Logiglish founded?

I founded and established the company when I was 20 years old, during my second year of university.

I first consulted my co-founder, Professor Sakahara, on December 6, 2022—one week after ChatGPT was released.

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Why did you become interested in education?

I joined a program called Collegia, organized by the Edgeson Management Association, which aims to cultivate outstanding and ambitious young people. Through the program, I met HR professionals from major corporations, and I often heard the same concern:
“Many people score well on English tests, but still cannot use English in real workplace situations.”
That was the turning point for me.

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How did your university experience influence your current work?

Since I started Logiglish in my second year of university, most of my university experience has essentially been the experience of building Logiglish.

Of course, we need to make the business sustainable in the short term. However, I believe I have also naturally developed a broader perspective—one that aims to make a lasting impact on the history of education through Logiglish.

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What motivated you to launch Logiglish?

When I was a child, I loved the American TV series Hannah Montana and tried many different ways to learn English. However, when I actually faced foreigners in real life, I couldn’t understand what they were saying, and I couldn’t speak. Despite all the time I had spent studying, I felt deeply disappointed.

Still, I could not give up my desire to communicate and have conversations with people both in Japan and abroad. In high school, I challenged myself by joining English debate. It required a lot of time and energy, but I was able to move closer to my goals—for example, by participating in the Y20 Youth Summit and being selected as a member of Japan’s national English debate team.

However, after entering university, I was shocked to see that most people could not use English freely, even if they studied English or achieved high scores on English tests. I realized that many people were unable to apply their English knowledge in real society, and that some might even fail to fully develop their talents simply because they cannot use English confidently.

When I researched the issue, I found that this problem is not limited to Japan. Globally, more than 50% of people (excluding Nordic countries) are not confident in using the languages they have learned.

Versant, a spoken English proficiency test distributed in Japan by Nikkei Inc., was first introduced in Japan by Osaka City University. I personally took the test, and I still remember the shock I felt when I took it for the first time.

Professor Sakahara had previously worked in business development for Versant at its headquarters in Silicon Valley, and he also knew Professor Harada, who provided academic support for Versant. I felt that this team could create and deliver something truly new to society, and that is what led me to decide to launch Logiglish.

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How do you divide roles within the team?

With insights and guidance from Professor Harada, Atsushi Sakahara Ph,D. develops the core method, and I refine it and build it into a product. That is how we have developed the Logiglish approach.

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What kind of society do you want to create in the future?

I believe we are entering an era in which information and learning will become deeply integrated.

In that era, I want Logiglish to become a core force in shaping the future of global education and learning.

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Finally, what does Logiglish mean to you?

When I asked my co-founder Atsushi Sakahara to join as a co-founder, he told me,
“I will support you if you truly aim to become a role model for the younger generation and the next generation.”

I want to keep that message in mind and continue working hard without ever forgetting it.