recurrent

What recurrent does

Recurrent Corporation (株式会社リカレント) is a Japanese social education company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, with an Osaka headquarters and 11 physical campuses distributed across Japan's major commercial centers (Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai, Shizuoka, Fukuoka). The company employs approximately 250 staff including full-time instructors and has trained more than 50,000 adult learners cumulatively over its 40-year operating history. Recurrent is led by founder/CEO Naoyuki Matsuda and remains privately held; the firm's mission is recurrent (lifelong) adult education and professional reskilling for working-age Japanese learners.

The company's product portfolio is organized around five lines: (1) the Career Design School, an Executive Career Consultant (eMC) certification preparation program with 20,000+ graduates and a claimed 74.2% cumulative pass rate, marketed at the top of the market on certification outcomes for three consecutive years; (2) the Mental Health School, an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Mental Health Counselor training course launched in 2013 as the first such program in Japan, with 2,000+ graduates; (3) the International Japanese Language Education Academy, launched in April 2023 to serve inbound foreign learners; (4) mezzanine, an online counseling platform launched in May 2023; and (5) a B2B Career Design Service delivered through subsidiary Riskill Corporation (spun off in May 2022). Tuition is reported in the ¥318,000–¥488,000 per-program range.

Recurrent's revenue mechanics rest on three pillars: B2C tuition from individual adult learners enrolled in certification prep cohorts at the 11 campuses; B2B contracts through the Career Design Service and Riskill corporate channel; and licensing/ancillary revenue through subsidiary Japan License Bank. The business holds formal designations as a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) registered training institution and, since 2025, a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) approved reskilling subsidy provider, which funnels government-subsidized demand into the existing program catalog. Recurrent's intangible asset base includes a proprietary teaching method trademark (楽校楽習™), the EMCA membership network with 4,500+ members, and a forty-year incumbent brand in adult reskilling education.

Name

recurrent

Legal name

株式会社リカレント

Website

https://recurrent.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Recurrent Corporation is a Japanese social education company, founded in 1986, operating 11 campuses nationwide to deliver adult reskilling programs, career consultant and EAP mental health counselor certification training, and corporate B2B career services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Professional Education and Certification Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership & People Skills (Influence, Managing Up, Supervisory Readiness) (EDAAAKAI)

Keywords

• Career consulting training
• Mental health counseling
• EAP counselor certification
• Adult education services
• Reskilling programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Shinjuku

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: Primary revenue from mental health counselor and career consultant training courses ranging from 318,000円 to 488,000円 per program, with additional materials fees
2. Certification Examination Fees: eMC qualification exam fees: 1st exam (学科) 10,000円 (tax 11,000円), 2nd exam (実技) 25,000円 (tax 27,500円)
3. Online Counseling Service (mezzanine): Mental health specialized online counseling service operated as a separate business unit
4. Corporate Career Design Services: B2B services for employee career development and mental health support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Recurrent Corporation is a Japanese social education company that operates specialized professional training schools for adults, primarily offering courses to prepare individuals for the national Career Consultant qualification and the EAP Mental Health Counselor (eMC) qualification. The company delivers training through physical campuses (11 locations across Japan), live communication video materials, and online live classroom sessions, supplemented by an online counseling service (mezzanine) and corporate career development services for HR departments.

Product overview

Recurrent operates as a comprehensive adult education company with a portfolio of specialized schools and services focused on career and mental health counseling. The core offerings include the Recurrent Career Design School for national career consultant certification, the Recurrent Mental Health School for EAP Mental Health Counselor training, and the International Japanese Language Education Academy. These are complemented by the mezzanine online counseling platform for direct consumer mental health services, and corporate-facing Career Design Services for organizational support. The company positions itself as providing integrated career and mental health support solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• メザニン (Mezzanine): 365日気軽にこころの悩みを相談できるオンラインカウンセリングサービス。
• 楽校楽習™

Products and services

• Recurrent Career Design School (リカレントキャリアデザインスクール) Professional school training individuals to become career consultants, offering courses for the national Career Consultant qualification exam preparation combined with practical workplace skills. Delivered via classroom, live communication video, and online live formats across 11 Japanese campuses.
• Recurrent Mental Health School (リカレント メンタルヘルススクール) Japan's first specialized school for training EAP Mental Health Counselors and EAP Consultants, offering comprehensive mental health counseling skills training and eMC qualification exam preparation. Course fees range from 318,000 yen (EAP Mental Health Counselor Value Pack) to 488,000 yen (EAP Mental Health Consultant).
• mezzanine (メザニン) Online counseling service specializing in mental health support, providing accessible mental health consultation services to consumers 365 days a year via subscription.
• Recurrent Career Design Service (リカレントキャリアデザインサービス) Corporate services providing employee career development support, mental health support, career consulting, and career formation assistance for businesses.
• Recurrent International Japanese Language Education Academy (リカレント国際日本語教育アカデミー) Professional school for training Japanese language teachers from beginner level, aligning with the national 'Registered Japanese Language Teacher' qualification system established in April 2024.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EMCA (特定非営利活動法人EAPメンタルヘルスカウンセリング協会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013EMCAは2013年8月に株式会社日本ライセンスバンク（リカレントの関係会社）により設立されたNPOで、リカレントはEMCA認定校としてeMC資格試験の受験資格を持つ養成講座を提供。EMCAの試験は年2回実施され、2013年度からの累積受験者数3,027名、合格者数2,245名。
• 神奈川大学 杉山崇教授minorStrategic or Co-development Partner対人関係療法(IPT)の監修者として関与。認知行動療法や来談者中心療法など心理療法の講義を担当する外部専門家。

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 株式会社メンタルヘルステクノロジーズ (MHT): Japanese mental health technology company offering corporate EAP services, online counseling, and employee mental health programs. Directly comparable to Recurrent's mezzanine and corporate B2B services in the EAP and digital counseling market.
• ヒューマンアカデミー (Human Academy): One of Japan's largest vocational training school chains, offering adult education programs including counseling, languages, business, and creative skills. Directly comparable to Recurrent in target audience (working adults seeking reskilling) and multi-campus delivery model.
• cotree (コトリ): Japan-focused online counseling platform connecting users with licensed counselors for mental health support. Directly comparable to Recurrent's mezzanine online counseling service in delivery model and target customer.
• LEC東京リーガルマインド (LEC): Long-established Japanese test prep school focused on professional certifications including HR-related qualifications. Comparable in helping adults prepare for national certifications via multi-campus delivery and government training benefit programs.
• TAC株式会社 (TAC): Major Japanese test preparation and professional qualification school offering courses for accounting, legal, HR, and business certifications. Closely comparable business model: helping working adults pass national/professional exams through classroom and online delivery.
• 株式会社EAPJAPAN: Japanese EAP service provider focused on corporate mental health programs and stress check compliance support. Comparable to Recurrent's Corporate Career Design Services in addressing enterprise EAP and employee mental health needs.

Broad incumbents

• 日本マンパワー (ManpowerGroup Japan): Global HR services and workforce development firm operating in Japan, offering career consulting and training programs. Comparable in serving corporate career development needs and individual career transition services overlapping with Recurrent's career design school.
• 株式会社産業カウンセラー協会: Industry association overseeing certified industrial counselor credentials in Japan. Comparable as the broader ecosystem participant for counselor certification that Recurrent's training prepares students to pursue; overlaps in serving the same counselor credentialing market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/recurrent_co
• Facebookfacebook.com/recurrentcounselor

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

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 recurrent