Figma heads to Japanese classrooms through Google for Education expansion

Figma is extending its partnership with Google for Education to bring its design tools to K-12 schools across Japan. The expansion gives school districts the ability to apply for free Figma Enterprise licenses, which can be deployed and managed through Google's admin console. This move is aimed at addressing a significant gap: while internet access is nearly universal in Japanese households, access to professional-grade design software has historically been limited to computer labs.

The arrangement will make Figma and FigJam available to students on Chromebooks and through Google Workspace for Education. For Japan, where Chromebook is already the dominant personal computing device in schools, this distribution channel offers districts a straightforward path to putting industry-standard tools directly into students' hands.

From US pilot to international rollout

The initiative builds on a closed beta program launched in the United States last year. That pilot drew applications from all 50 states, with students using the tools for a range of projects, from supporting nonprofit causes to prototyping apps for local government services. Educators also adopted FigJam as a central space for lesson planning, group projects, and study guides, effectively reshaping how they structured their classrooms and curricula.

Figma CEO Dylan Field has framed the effort as a matter of access and opportunity, emphasizing that design skills—problem solving, collaboration, and creative expression—are essential for future career success. The company's stated goal is to ensure these opportunities are not reserved for those with elite credentials.

Meeting Japan's educational and economic moment

The launch in Japan arrives as design literacy becomes a measurable business advantage. Research from McKinsey cited by Figma indicates that design-driven companies posted significant gains in both revenue and total returns to shareholders compared to industry peers. Additionally, the firm reports that a growing number of non-designers now possess a baseline level of "intrinsic design literacy," signaling that design skills are increasingly relevant across job functions.

Japan presents a distinct opportunity for this push. The country has long excelled in educational equity and attainment, with high school graduation rates above 95% and national funding models that aim to level the playing field across schools. Yet its adoption of classroom computers lagged behind these other benchmarks. The Japanese government responded in 2019 with the GIGA School program, a national initiative to provide every student with a device and high-speed school network access.

The program appears to have found traction with Chromebooks. Seiko Nakano, Head of Government Relations at Google for Education, notes that roughly half of Japan's local governments and boards of education selected Google for Education because it aligns with the GIGA School Plan's vision. Figma's role is to complement the hardware-focused progress of GIGA by supplying a software platform for design, collaboration, and innovation. Andy Russell, Group Product Manager at Google for ChromeOS EDU and Family, emphasized that Figma brings power without sacrificing approachability for students.

Both companies are positioning themselves for the Japanese market with local infrastructure and support teams already in place. Figma has deep roots in the region—Japan was the first market where the company localized its user interface. Figma Japan Country Manager Hiroaki Kawanobe points out that pairing Chromebooks with design software allows students to build critical digital skills earlier, which could help spur broader digital transformation in the country.

Applications now open

Early feedback from pilot sites is positive. Mr. Matsumoto, Headmaster at Harayama Elementary School, which is piloting the program, says his teachers find that Figma facilitates smoother collection of opinions and learning outcomes while deepening dialogue and giving them clearer visibility into students' thinking processes.

Districts interested in the program can now submit applications through the designated Figma for Education page.