Pursuing my passion for English and early childhood education and turning it into my calling
Hitomi Ikeda started her own business by utilizing the languages she loved and excelled at since childhood, and the knowledge of intellectual development she gained after giving birth. We spoke to her about her business, "Asobumanabiya," a preschool that incorporates everything she has learned from childcare, languages, art history, and work experience.
Current Activities
-What kind of activities are you currently involved in, Mr. Ikeda?
She runs a preschool art and English class called "Asobimanabisha" mainly in Ebina and Zama cities in Kanagawa Prefecture, and sometimes uses online classes as well.
We hold events such as "Messy Play in English," where children can become familiar with English while having fun without worrying about getting dirty with paint or powder, "English Eurhythmics," which combines English and eurhythmics, and "Asobi STEAM Online," a STEAM education program that allows children to learn naturally while playing.
-What is it about?
Messy play is a game devised by Aida Natsuho of the Japan Infant and Toddler Play Education Association, incorporating elements of Montessori education, Reggio Emilia approach, Steiner education, and more.
There are plenty of artistic elements in messy play. You can touch, smear, mix, tear, and make a mess with various materials such as paint, powder, and paper. It's a type of play that's hard to do at home. At "Playing Learning Center," we offer an original lesson called "Messy Play in English," which adds English to messy play.
In "English Eurhythmics," we offer a lesson called "AMUSE Play," which combines the three elements of art, music, and English. In addition to myself, we also have a eurhythmics and piano instructor, so the lesson is taught by two instructors.
During my time as a company employee, I found it difficult to balance work and child-rearing
- Messy play is becoming more widely recognized in early childhood education, and you've also incorporated English into your child's education. Have you always liked languages?
When I was little, I was allowed to attend English conversation classes, and then when I was about to enter junior high school, I went to Australia for a two-week homestay. I have always enjoyed learning and speaking foreign languages.
At the recommendation of my cram school teacher, I decided to take the university entrance exam for a department other than English. Since I had always loved art, I chose to major in French at university. I was happy to be able to read a language I didn't know.
-You continued to improve your language skills at university, but what about finding a job?
At university, you spend the first two years learning the basics of language, and the last two years branching out into a specialized field in order to write your graduation thesis. When I thought about finding a job, I aimed to become a museum curator, a job in the arts, which I have loved since childhood. Since it is difficult to become a curator with a four-year bachelor's degree, I also went on to graduate school.
However, the reality is that there are few art museums and no openings for curators, and even if a position does open up, it is not necessarily at a museum that deals with the field in which you specialize.
--There aren't many positions for museum curators.
It seems that many people wait for a curatorial position to open up while obtaining a PhD or becoming a fixed-term researcher (postdoctoral fellow), but I thought it was a waste to keep waiting for that to happen, so I got a job at a regular company.
There were drinking parties every week at the company, early mornings, late nights, and crowded trains. I just couldn't imagine myself working while pregnant and raising a child, so after about three years I changed jobs. I worked for two companies while I was married.
Learning about intellectual development can make the difficult task of child rearing more enjoyable
What first got you interested in intellectual education?
Childcare was an unknown world to me. I learned how to bathe babies and change diapers at the local government's mother's class. However, I realized that the local government's teachings about childcare were only a small part of it, and then I discovered intellectual education.
During my first pregnancy, I learned about various educational methods, such as home daycare and Montessori education, so I was looking forward to raising my child after giving birth. Of course, taking care of a baby is hard work, and even if I have ideals, it's difficult to follow the parenting books about things like the amount of sleep and toilet training for children.
Of course, not everything in intellectual education can be done according to theory, but it is reassuring that there are some aspects that will work if you try.
-It's wonderful that you can look forward to it. Was it difficult to study educational materials and take courses from certified instructors while having children?
I think the difficulty of childcare varies depending on the child's personality, but my eldest son doesn't sleep much. Since it was my first time raising a child, there were many things I didn't know, so when I started learning about intellectual development, it was to help me raise my own child.
Then, my second son was born, just two years younger than me. This time he was a good sleeper, so I had a little more time to think about whether I could work in the field of intellectual education.
Looking for ways to work while caring for your family
-Do you plan to continue working even after becoming a mother?
I had always wanted to work, so I took a course to become a translator while I was pregnant, but I found out that it would be difficult to get work without work experience.
While I was raising my eldest son, I didn't have much time and I couldn't go out much, so I felt more and more lonely at home. I wanted to be recognized as a member of society and I wanted to find a job.
-I heard that you started studying for certified instructor qualifications three months after giving birth to your second child.
That's right. As I was thinking about my desire to work, what I'm interested in now, and what I've always loved since I was little, I was left with language, art, and intellectual education. At the right time, I came across "Muchagacha Asobi," which combines elements of art, early childhood education, and play.
Immediately after giving birth to my second son, I applied to be a certified instructor for the 4th class of Gucha Gucha Play. The content was so engrossing that I forgot to eat and sleep, and I could empathize with the philosophy. I am still competing with my fellow instructors.
Learning English using textbooks is good, but some children may come to dislike English. It is easier to learn if you incorporate it naturally into play from an early age. I made the course unique to me by incorporating English elements into the messy play that parents and children play together.
Since the Zama classroom is located close to a U.S. military base, we also hold "All English Messy Play" events where students can play together with friends from all over the world.
In addition, "Asobi STEAM Online" provides online STEAM education that combines science and art for children aged 3 to 8, and I am the homeroom teacher for the English class.
English is the language with the most speakers in the world. The advantage of learning English from an early age is that there is a wide variety of English content, such as anime and science content, and there are many options. If you can speak English at a young age, you can enjoy content from all over the world and broaden your world view.
Ikeda's future
-How do you feel about actually starting your own business?
I think that moms who start their own businesses have a strong desire to do things for their children and for their mothers, which arise from their own lives. Their strength is being able to respond to niche demands in a detailed manner that would be difficult for a large company to realize.
My current job is my life's work, something I want to cherish.
I can contribute to society while taking care of my children and my family. It's something I love, so I enjoy thinking about what I can do to help children grow up outside of work.
-Finally, please tell us your dreams for the future.
I love English, so I want to continue teaching it for as long as I can. In the future, I would like to expand my content to include "English and Science" and "English and Art," and also expand the age range of students I teach.
Hitomi Ikeda
Graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies with a major in French, and completed a graduate course in art history at the University of Tokyo.
While raising two children in Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture, she runs a preschool called "Asobimanagakusha."
"Playful Learning Center"
Official website here
Ameblo here
InstagramHere
FacebookHere
Email asobumanabiya@gmail.com
Official LINE ( For inquiries, recruitment, applications, and registrations via LINE, click here )
<Contact information for classroom inquiries>
For inquiries about classes, please use the "Contact us via form" on our official website or our official LINE.
AsobiSTEAM Online, a STEAM education program combining science and art, is currently recruiting students for a start in April 2024.
*"Messy Play" and "AsobiSTEAM" are trademarks of the Japan Infant and Toddler Play Education Association.
