Research-grounded psychology, made engaging and accessible.

Mission

Bring research-grounded psychology to society and help more people live with greater ease

We bring insights backed by psychological research to society, rather than the loosely supported claims that surround us. Without reducing the complexity of the human mind to fixed labels, we work toward a society where everyone can make the most of who they are, at their own pace.

Vision

Share psychology as a discipline in an engaging, accurate way

Rigor and clarity can coexist. We go beyond technical terms and test results to create tools and content that anyone can explore, sparking intellectual curiosity and bringing psychology into everyday life.

Value

Start with ourselves

To help others move in a positive direction, we first need to care for our own mental well-being and enjoy what we do. We begin with ourselves, creating approaches whose value we can experience in our daily lives.

Begin with tendencies as they are, rather than fitting people into types.

Assessments that assign people to a handful of “types” can be an accessible, enjoyable starting point for conversation. Yet statements such as “I am this type” or “That person is like that” can also confine the nuances of a mind that is inherently diverse, like a gradient, to narrow and fixed categories.

Psychology offers a growing body of empirical knowledge, including trait theory, which describes personal tendencies along continuous dimensions rather than in binary categories.

Academic knowledge can be accurate yet feel distant and technical; everyday ideas can be approachable yet oversimplified. We bridge the two, continuing to build ways for people to understand themselves thoughtfully and make daily life a little easier than it was yesterday.

Product / Web Service

SelfMap

MVP in Development (Launch planned: Late 2026)

Trait-theory-based tool for self-reflection and micro-actions

A web application that reinterprets personal tendencies as continuous traits rather than rigid labels. We are developing Claude API-powered features to turn daily journaling into structured insights and positive action steps.

View SelfMap Details →

Education & Outreach

Psychology Outreach

Reframing learning and sharing psychology in an accurate, engaging way

We create educational content informed by psychology lectures and empirical research, and share it through platforms such as note. We reshape specialist knowledge into approachable learning materials and bring it to a wider audience.

Company Information

Organization
Kobo Shimazu(工房島津)
Official Social
X (@kobo_shimazu)
Founded
June 2026
Location
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Core Business
Software development, R&D of AI-guided self-understanding platform "SelfMap", psychology education & outreach