Mizuho Financial Group has partnered with gaming giant SEGA XD to establish Mizuho Pochette Co., Ltd., a joint venture poised to create a leading financial and economic education platform in the country. This collaboration melds Mizuho’s extensive financial expertise with SEGA XD’s prowess in gamification, setting a new standard for engaging and interactive financial learning.
The venture kicks off with the development of a pioneering app in partnership with Shonan Shirayuri Gakuen and Yamanashi Gakuin elementary schools, both of which have demonstrated a keen interest in advancing financial education among their students. The initiative also draws participation from Maruzen Junkudo Bookstore and Lotte, marking a cross-industry effort to support this educational endeavor. Plans are underway to expand this collaboration, inviting companies from diverse sectors to contribute to the platform’s growth.
This project heralds the first commercial endeavor birthed from the “Mizuho GCEO Challenge,” a program designed to harvest and nurture innovative ideas from within Mizuho, championed by the group’s CEO. Ayako Ohara and Yasuyuki Niikura, emerging as frontrunners from the challenge, have been instrumental in steering this project from concept to reality.
Significantly, this venture represents a groundbreaking approach within Mizuho, marking the first time the institution has leveraged its resources to support employee-initiated projects, with backing from MHIF for both in-house and external ventures.
Located in Tokyo’s Chiyoda-ku, Mizuho Pochette embodies the fusion of traditional finance and digital innovation, aiming to develop applications that not only educate but also entertain users across generations about the significance of money and economic principles. This initiative underscores a broader trend towards interactive and practical learning, with the potential to significantly impact financial literacy and education across Japan.
