Celebrating 23 years of CTI Japan

This September we’re celebrating the 23rd anniversary of CTI Japan! CEO Junji Hirata and Nozomi Yamada spoke to us about some of their exciting anniversary plans, as well as the journey that brought CTI Japan to this milestone. 

First, let’s acknowledge that 23 years is an interesting anniversary to celebrate. There’s a very good reason for this choice: the 20th anniversary of CTI Japan fell right in the middle of the pandemic, with limitations all over the world on travel and isolation measures in place. The anniversary was pushed back until a time when it would be possible to bring CTI Japan’s community together in person to celebrate. The celebration event is taking place on September 30, and its intent is simple: let’s come together. 

Before we talk more about the event, let’s journey through CTI Japan’s history. 

 

Origins of CTI Japan 

The driving force behind establishing CTI Japan was a man named Hide Enomoto. Hide had journeyed to the United States to study in San Francisco, where he came across Co-Active coaching and attended the courses. What happened there sparked a passion in Hide for bringing Co-Active coaching to Japan. He shared his desire with CTI’s co-founders, Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, and Henry Kimsey-House, and, after much persuasion, was given permission to lead a Fundamentals course in Tokyo in 2000.  

Co-Active courses are co-led, so Henry joined Hide to co-lead this first tentative introduction to Co-Active coaching in Japan. And it was a huge hit! Hide had intended on starting with several Fundamentals courses, but his Fundamentals cohort wanted to continue with their Intermediate Coach Training straight away. He needed to find a co-leader who could help him meet the demand, and so Phillip Sandahl, an influential member of CTI’s leadership and faculty, joined Hide in Japan to help him grow the fledgling business.  

In 2003, CTI Japan extended their offering to include the Certified Professional Co-Active Coach Certification program and the Co-Active Leadership program. The faculty increased to 7 members. Hide left the company in the capable hands of a new CEO, and CTI Japan continued to grow organically thanks to the recommendations and testimonials of its learner community. 

 

Overcoming Recessions and Pandemics 

Then 2008/9 came and the global recession hit Japan. It was a difficult time for many families and organizations. Many courses were cancelled, and the company faced its biggest challenge. In 2010, Hide returned with the strong declaration: “In times of disaster is when Co-Active is most needed.” He mobilized the energy in the company and community to create new momentum. He created a new website and entered fresh dialogues with community members, and, gradually, sales started to increase. 

At around the same time, an earthquake struck the region. Hide leaned into his previous declaration about Co-Active being most needed in times of disaster and mobilized the Co-Active community once again to volunteer their help in the affected areas. It was a beautiful expression of community, leadership, and responsibility — many faculty, staff, and learners took up the call to volunteer. 

Moving ahead to 2020 and the pandemic, we saw an incredible achievement. While many companies — especially training and development companies with an in-person delivery model — struggled during the lockdown months, CTI Japan was the first to introduce online coaching courses and quickly became the first choice for coach training. The company thrived during these challenging years. In 2021, CTI Japan trained 1.5 times more learners than it had before the pandemic. While CTI Japan has since re-introduced in-person coach training, the courses are now split 50/50 between in person and online. 

 

Coming Together as a Community 

Junji and Nozomi are now looking ahead to their anniversary celebrations. They’ve designed an event that recognizes the desire many community members have for meeting in person. Many of their learners today have still only met online, and this event is an opportunity for them to meet each other, their front-of-room leaders, and people within the wider Co-Active network in person. It’s a chance to connect, share, bond, and experience community together.  

As CEO Junji says, “We’d like people to feel at home with Co-Active. We plan to have a lot of dialogue and create synergy among the people gathered there.” 

So far 220 people are signed up to attend the event on September 30 in Tokyo. It will be a day where stories meet faces, where front-of-room leaders are more than names on a screen, and where the Co-Active network becomes an even closer-knit family.  

CTI Japan’s anniversary event is more than a celebration; it’s a testament to the journey they’ve shared and the journey that still lies ahead. 

Here’s to 23 years of transformation — and to many more to come!