LEC

What LEC does

LEC (株式会社LEC), operating under the brand 'English Osaru' (イングリッシュおさる), is a Japanese direct-to-consumer English-language education company founded in December 2020 by former English teacher Honda Naohisa (本田 直久). It is registered in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, with 5 million yen in capital, and is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding. The company targets Japanese English learners preparing for Eiken (英検) and TOEIC as well as general conversational learners, with a methodology emphasizing grammar comprehension, image-based vocabulary memorization, and intensive study schedules.

Its core product offering is a results-focused Online English School that runs cohort-based coaching several times per year, complemented by a YouTube channel of approximately 200,000 subscribers, an English learning blog, and a multi-platform social presence (X, Instagram, TikTok). Content is delivered in Japanese by the founder and uses videos, diagrams, and structured guides covering grammar, vocabulary, and test-prep strategy. The company also sells Web Consulting and YouTube Marketing services to SMB clients, leveraging the founder's own playbook for sales-funnel construction and YouTube-based product monetization.

The business operates a freemium D2C funnel: free YouTube and blog content acquire top-of-funnel audience; the official LINE account acts as the mid-funnel lead capture and primary enrollment channel for paid cohorts, where pricing is disclosed only after registration. No revenue, headcount, pricing, or institutional customer data is publicly disclosed, and the business is entirely dependent on the founder for content production, teaching, and brand credibility.

Name

LEC

Legal name

株式会社LEC

Website

https://englishosaru-officialsite.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

LEC is a Japanese bootstrapped edtech company that delivers English learning through a founder-led YouTube channel (~200,000 subscribers), blog, and cohort-based online school, targeting Japanese learners preparing for Eiken, TOEIC, and conversational English.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online English Language Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

E-commerce & Online Business (Marketplaces, DTC) (EDAMAHAH)

Keywords

• Online English education
• English learning YouTube
• English test preparation
• Sales funnel consulting
• Creator-led edtech

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokorozawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Online English School (Result-Focused Coaching): A results-oriented online English coaching program offered several times per year. Prospective students are recruited via the official LINE account. Details of the program structure and cost are shared upon LINE registration.
2. YouTube Channel (Audience Building): YouTube channel (~200,000 subscribers) publishes English learning videos including grammar tutorials, vocabulary guides, and test prep content. The channel funnels viewers to the online school and LINE official account.
3. Web Consulting Services: Web consulting for building appropriate sales funnels covering customer acquisition, education, and sales optimization, as described in the service lineup.
4. English Learning Blog with Free Content: Blog publishes detailed English learning articles (grammar guides, vocabulary tips, Eiken/TOEIC strategy) to build audience and drive sign-ups for the online school and LINE official account.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LEC operates a results-oriented online English school that recruits students several times per year, supported by a free English-learning YouTube channel (~200,000 subscribers) and a companion blog under the "English Osaru" (イングリッシュおさる) personal brand. The company also sells web and YouTube marketing consulting services to help other businesses build sales funnels covering customer acquisition, education, and sales.

Product overview

LEC operates a suite of English language education products and digital marketing services. The core offerings include an online English school (オンライン英語スクール), an English learning YouTube channel with approximately 200,000 subscribers, and an English learning blog—all aligned under the 'イングリッシュおさる' (English Osaru) brand. These content products are complemented by business services in web consulting and YouTube marketing. The company, led by representative Naohisa Honda, was established in December 2020 and is headquartered in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online English School (オンライン英語スクール) A results-focused online English coaching program operated by LEC that recruits students several times per year. It targets Japanese English learners seeking grammar mastery, vocabulary expansion, and rapid improvement for Eiken and TOEIC exams. Program details and pricing are shared via the official LINE account upon registration.
• English Osaru YouTube Channel (英語系Youtube発信) A free English-learning YouTube channel with approximately 200,000 subscribers, featuring grammar guides, vocabulary tutorials, Eiken and TOEIC preparation videos, and study method content. Individual videos exceed 1.5 million views. The channel doubles as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel for the paid online school.
• English Learning Blog (英語学習ブログ) A companion blog publishing text and diagram-based articles on English grammar, vocabulary memorization, Eiken/TOEIC strategies, and learner mindset. It reinforces YouTube content and feeds the free-to-paid funnel into the online school.
• Web Consulting (Webコンサルティング) A B2B consulting service that builds appropriate sales funnels for businesses, covering customer acquisition, education, and sales optimization. Inquiries are submitted via the company contact form.
• YouTube Marketing (YouTubeマーケティング) A B2B service that optimizes sales of self-owned products using the YouTube platform, leveraging the founder's experience building a YouTube-driven sales funnel to 200,000 subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founder achieved TOEIC 900 in 6 months from study start; conversational English in 3 months; Eiken Level 1 in 2 months; 25,000 vocabulary words memorized

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AEON (AEON Eikaiwa): One of Japan's largest English conversation school chains with nationwide physical locations. Broad incumbent offering English lessons to Japanese learners through a much wider product portfolio than LEC.
• Berlitz Japan: Global language education brand with a substantial Japanese presence offering English lessons across age groups and corporate training. Larger, more diversified incumbent in the Japanese English-learning space.
• EF Education First (Japan): Global English education company with a sizable Japan operation offering courses, study abroad, and corporate training. Broad incumbent competing for Japanese English learners across multiple formats.
• ECC (ECC Eikaiwa): Long-established Japanese English conversation school chain with extensive physical classroom presence. Broad incumbent competing for the same Japanese learner segment as LEC, though via in-person instruction.

Direct peers

• RareJob: One of Japan's largest online English conversation services, connecting Japanese learners with Filipino instructors. Direct competitor to LEC's online English school for Japanese learners seeking affordable, results-oriented English training.
• Cambly: Online English tutoring platform connecting learners with native-speaking tutors on demand. Comparable to LEC as a digital-first English education service, though it operates more broadly than LEC's Japan-centric coaching.
• PROGRIT: Japanese English coaching company offering premium, results-oriented English programs with short completion windows (e.g., 2- or 6-month plans). Closely comparable to LEC's coaching positioning around rapid results and intensive study.
• ENGLISH COMPANY: Japanese English coaching service provider focused on data-driven, results-oriented learning in a defined time period. Overlaps directly with LEC's positioning around structured intensive English programs for Japanese learners.
• DMM Eikaiwa (DMM.com): Major online English conversation platform operated by DMM in Japan, offering 24/7 lessons with foreign instructors. Directly competes for the same Japanese consumer English-learning market that LEC targets.

Emerging players

• italki: Global online marketplace for language lessons with many Japanese English learners on the platform. Comparable to LEC in serving Japanese learners seeking flexible online English instruction, though via marketplace model rather than proprietary content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/englishosaru
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZikuEIssIzv0fdkVEH7Djg
• Instagraminstagram.com/englishosaru1
• TikToktiktok.com/@englishosaru

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LEC