The Origin:
When Children's Joy Made Me Incredibly Happy
When Children's Joy Made Me Incredibly Happy
After graduating from university, I was involved in educational material development at the learning academy "Hanamaru Gakushukai" while teaching children in classrooms. Through this experience, I felt the significant impact of "parents" and wanted to deliver learning opportunities to children who couldn't live with their parents, so I began providing educational support at children's homes.
However, it didn't go well at first. While helping a 5th grader with math, I thought it would be better to start with 2nd-grade level content and brought 2nd-grade materials, but the child wouldn't engage. For that child, it must have felt like constantly being reminded of their weaknesses to a visiting older brother.
However, it didn't go well at first. While helping a 5th grader with math, I thought it would be better to start with 2nd-grade level content and brought 2nd-grade materials, but the child wouldn't engage. For that child, it must have felt like constantly being reminded of their weaknesses to a visiting older brother.
So I brought some self-made puzzles, thinking it would be better than doing nothing, and the children's attitude completely changed. They engaged with problems where grade level didn't matter, enjoying themselves immensely. The enthusiasm of the excited children exceeded my imagination. When I ran out of puzzles to give and laughingly said "I surrender!" a child brought their own drill and said "Let's do this together." While trying to make them do "regular studying" didn't work, experiencing "I can do this too" and "thinking is fun" naturally led them to start "regular studying" on their own. This became a profound foundational experience for me.
Later, through various connections, I began conducting outreach classes at overseas children's homes and public elementary schools. Starting with Cebu in the Philippines, I visited Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, and Mongolia. Since some places didn't use English, I refined the puzzle materials to eliminate text and make them intuitively solvable using only lines and shapes. Through this process, I became able to create spaces where children in any country or region would feel overwhelming joy, thinking "Can something be this much fun?" The joy of seeing children's delight made me incredibly happy, and wanting to deliver such experiences to the world—believing I could—led me to start the company called Wonderfy.
Wonderfy has maintained a development process since its founding where we test newly created materials with children and improve them based on their reactions. Even now, I personally find great joy in having children try new materials, and I'm always deeply moved by their responses. A distinguishing feature of Wonderfy is that members who love such work have gathered to continue developing materials and content.
Wonderfy has maintained a development process since its founding where we test newly created materials with children and improve them based on their reactions. Even now, I personally find great joy in having children try new materials, and I'm always deeply moved by their responses. A distinguishing feature of Wonderfy is that members who love such work have gathered to continue developing materials and content.
Bringing Out a Sense of Wonder in Children
—With Parents & Partners Worldwide
—With Parents & Partners Worldwide
We have developed materials and content while treasuring children's "intellectual excitement" above all else. While unintentional, I believe that in the face of AI's dramatic evolution, "intellectual excitement" has become even more important. While AI provides optimal answers, the driving force behind "what we want to do" comes from each person's unique sensibilities, thoughts, and "excitement."
We have been supported by many parents who have used Wonderfy's services and sometimes encouraged us with their supportive words. Additionally, we have been blessed with connections and collaborations with various domestic and international government agencies, educational institutions, local governments, media, commercial facilities, character companies, and others. Recently, such collaborative opportunities have increased even more.
Moving forward, we will take on new challenges with even more people, drawing out "intellectual excitement" from children both domestically and internationally, and contributing to the world.
We have been supported by many parents who have used Wonderfy's services and sometimes encouraged us with their supportive words. Additionally, we have been blessed with connections and collaborations with various domestic and international government agencies, educational institutions, local governments, media, commercial facilities, character companies, and others. Recently, such collaborative opportunities have increased even more.
Moving forward, we will take on new challenges with even more people, drawing out "intellectual excitement" from children both domestically and internationally, and contributing to the world.
CCO / Founder
Kei Kawashima
Completed graduate studies in Engineering at the University of Tokyo.
His love for arithmetic and mathematics led him to participate in creating problems for the bestselling problem collection "Nazope" since his student days.
From 2007, while teaching students from age 4 to university level at the learning academy "Hanamaru Gakushukai,"
he handled numerous educational support projects at public elementary schools and children's homes both domestically and internationally. Founded Hanamaru Lab Co., Ltd. (now: Wonderfy) in 2014.The thinking skills development app "Think!Think!" he developed is used by 3 million users across 150 countries worldwide and has won numerous awards domestically and internationally, including "Google Play Awards.
" He previously served as a part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo.
He has been involved in creating problems for the Math Olympiad and has served as an advisor for mathematical thinking skills development in Mie Prefecture since 2017.
Publications
"Kadokawa's Collecting Encyclopedia GET! Playful Math" (KADOKAWA)
"Understanding Through Manga! Programming Brain Training Through Play by Age 10" and related series (Nagaoka Shoten)
"Math Brain Puzzle Nazope" series including "Maze Nazope," "New Beginner Nazope," "Picture Nazope" (Soshisha, co-authored with Masanobu Takahama, representative of Hanamaru Gakushukai)
"Understanding Through Manga! Programming Brain Training Through Play by Age 10" and related series (Nagaoka Shoten)
"Math Brain Puzzle Nazope" series including "Maze Nazope," "New Beginner Nazope," "Picture Nazope" (Soshisha, co-authored with Masanobu Takahama, representative of Hanamaru Gakushukai)