Early last week, FamilyMart, one of Japan’s largest convenience store chains, announced in its news release that ten employees with intellectual developmental disorders have achieved remarkable cognitive growth, positive behavioral changes, improved interpersonal relationships, and an expansion of their job roles. These results come after a year of weekly training sessions, including the Feuerstein Method, conducted since October 2025.

This work is the result of a close collaboration between FamilyMart and Yume-Sodate. FamilyMart’s two managers responsible for the employment of individuals with disabilities, Ms. Kitahara and Mr. Miura, are currently attending the Cognitive Enrichment level 3 course (formerly known as Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment), and two other employees completed the Cognitive Enrichment level 1 course this spring. Together with seven members of Yume-Sodate who have already completed Feuerstein courses, they formed a team and have been conducting ongoing weekly training sessions.

And there’s more to come: starting later this month, the same efforts will be extended to another eight employees with disabilities at FamilyMart.

Tetsuya of Yume-Sodate also presented at the Conference of the Japanese Agricultural Education Society on September 13, and will present again at the Conference of the Social Farming Academic Society of Japan on December 13. Two further academic papers are planned for 2027.

We look forward to seeing this important work continue to grow.