Designing Solutions for Challenges Faced by People with Disabilities - Meet the Innovator.
This time, we had the opportunity to interview Reiko Katayama, CEO of Hogaku Inc.
The station guidance device for the hearing impaired, "Ekimatope," designed by Katayama, has received significant attention beyond the realm of welfare.
We delved into the background of why Katayama, who had no prior connection to welfare, took on this challenge, and explored the barrier-free future she envisions through design. Please read on to the end.
*Information was confirmed and partially updated on March 13, 2026.
1. What is Hogaku Inc.?
Hogaku Inc. is a design company established in January 2021.
They place great importance on building a sustainable design organization, one aspect of which is employment structuring. A key initiative is hiring hearing-impaired individuals as designers and working alongside them. They plan to continue focusing on employing hearing-impaired individuals.
Their connection with the hearing-impaired community began when they took on the design of Ekimatope.
Designing "Ekimatope" by Incorporating Feedback from Stakeholders and Team Members
At JR Ueno Station, above the vending machines, there is a device called "Ekimatope" that visualizes environmental sounds like "ding-dong," "whoosh," and "rumble."
Ekimatope, born from the voices of the hearing impaired, was embraced by many for its fun typography design and was awarded the Good Design Award in 2022.
Katayama was responsible for the animation and design of Ekimatope.
She was invited to the project by a friend from her student days, and although she initially had no connection with the hearing impaired, she created the design by listening to the opinions of stakeholders and team members to avoid imposing her ideas.
When a demonstration was conducted in June 2022, it received significant attention, especially on social media.
This event sparked her interest in welfare.
Expanding Business to Promote Welfare Through Design
In addition to Ekimatope, Hogaku Inc. offers other services that incorporate design into welfare.
One such service is "ifyoumeet.com," which allows for written communication via a browser.
Although Katayama became interested in hearing impairments through Ekimatope, she initially didn't know how to communicate with stakeholders.
Seeing Ekimatope spread beyond the stakeholders, Katayama thought, "It's not that people aren't interested in welfare; they just don't know what to do."
Ifyoumeet.com is a service designed with the intention of encouraging communication from the side of non-disabled individuals. It was developed with the hope that when non-disabled individuals meet hearing-impaired people, they will remember ifyoumeet.com and use it to communicate.
Hogaku Inc. is involved in various design projects regardless of type. This is because Katayama wants to bring joy to people through her design skills.
Initiatives by Hogaku Inc.
Hogaku Inc. has a mission to "create a social structure where people who can't hear or have difficulty hearing can live authentically." In addition to the projects mentioned above, they are engaged in activities for the hearing impaired.
In May 2023, they launched a YouTube channel, "Hogaku no Hogaku," to share news related to hearing impairments and collaborate with companies outside the welfare industry to promote diversity initiatives.
Hogaku no Hogaku: https://www.youtube.com/@hogakunohogaku
Additionally, with the Deaflympics, a sports event for the hearing impaired, scheduled to be held in Tokyo in 2025, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government hosted a pitch contest called "UPGRADE with TOKYO" to develop ideas for enjoying competitions without sound.
Hogaku Inc. proposed the "Atmosphere Support Visualization System."
This system, developed in collaboration with Aisin Corporation and Waseda University, displays the sounds, viewing experiences, and atmosphere of competitions as onomatopoeia in real-time, allowing hearing-impaired individuals to experience the excitement.
Their technical skills and design were highly evaluated, and they won the contest.
Hogaku Inc.'s future endeavors in collaboration with industry, government, and academia are worth watching.
2. Who is Reiko Katayama, the CEO?
The first impression of Katayama was "calm." However, as we spoke, it became clear that she is not only calm but also eager to embrace new things and has a passionate commitment to each project.
Let's take a look back at Katayama's roots.
Exploring Katayama's Past!
As a child, she was restless and not good at organizing. She loved nature and would sometimes bring home lizards.
She loved drawing, and her elementary school graduation essay stated her desire to become a manga artist.
She seriously aspired to be a designer in her second year of high school. She was captivated by the stage set of a music program and intuitively thought, "I want to create this," leading her to discover the profession of a designer.
Katayama, who had no clear aspirations until then, says that this encounter became a strong driving force.
Starting a Business from a Completely Different Field
After graduating from an art university and graduate school, she joined a design office.
There, she worked on spatial design for large parties, achieving her high school goal of space design, even though it wasn't for TV stage sets.
After two and a half years, she became a freelancer but experienced the harshness of society.
Already married, Katayama was often misunderstood and thought to be working on design as a side job due to the societal impression of being a "wife."
She thought that establishing a company would better convey her dedication to her work, leading her to found Hogaku Inc. in 2021.
Incorporating Design Thinking into the Welfare Industry
Her interest in welfare was sparked by the Ekimatope project.
She received numerous responses from stakeholders and their families, including heartfelt messages like "Thank you so much for creating Ekimatope."
"I have to do it"
Listening to the voices of stakeholders, Katayama felt a sense of mission. She began studying welfare and disabilities, leading to a full-fledged business endeavor.
Katayama, who previously knew nothing about the welfare industry, wants to continue reaching out to those who are equally unaware or unsure.
