Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business

What Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business does

Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business (BBT大学院, formally ビジネス・ブレークスルー大学大学院) is Japan's first online MBA graduate school, founded in 2005 and operated by Aoba-BBT, Inc. (株式会社Aoba-BBT). The institution delivers a fully-online 2-year MBA program enabling working professionals to earn a graduate degree while continuing full-time employment, anchored by globally recognized Dean Kenichi Ohmae (former McKinsey Director and Asia-Pacific Regional Director) and a faculty composed of practicing executives rather than academic researchers. The school has produced over 1,900 graduates as of its 20th anniversary in 2025.

The core technology stack consists of two proprietary assets. AirCampus® is a self-developed online learning platform delivering on-demand video lectures, text-based discussions, and asynchronous faculty interaction accessible 24/7 from any device. RTOCS (Real Time Online Case Study) is a proprietary case-study methodology in which students analyze ~100 current, real-world companies over the 2-year program as if serving as their executive leadership, supported by 1on1 faculty mentorship. The curriculum also includes a graduation research project requiring students to formulate a business plan under executive faculty supervision, plus DX and corporate turnaround topics not covered in standard MBA textbooks.

The business model is primarily tuition-driven (¥3,075,000 for the 2-year MBA degree, billed per semester), supplemented by single-course enrollment (MBA単科) at ¥92,000 per course with credit transferability toward the full degree, corporate dispatch programs (MBA企業派遣), customized corporate training (企業研修), Non-Degree courses, and an international credential pathway through the BOND-BBT joint program with Australia's Bond University. Annual enrollment capacity is 200 students across Spring (April) and Fall (October) intakes. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via a multi-channel digital funnel — mbaSwitch editorial blog, YouTube, social media, email newsletter, online information sessions, and 1on1 consultations offered in both Japanese and English — targeting busy mid-career professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs, and corporate executives across Japan and globally.

Name

Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business

Legal name

株式会社Aoba-BBT

Website

https://ohmae.ac.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Japan's first online MBA graduate school, founded in 2005 by management consultant Kenichi Ohmae. Operated by Aoba-BBT, it delivers 2-year MBA programs to working professionals via its proprietary AirCampus® platform and RTOCS case-study methodology, with 1,900+ graduates and a Bond University international credential partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online MBA Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

MBA & Executive MBA Programs (EDAHAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.) (EDAHALAE), Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN)

Keywords

• Online MBA programs
• Executive education
• Distance learning
• Graduate business school
• Corporate training

Headquarters

HQ city

Nibancho

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MBA Tuition (本科): Full MBA program tuition for 2-year degree program including enrollment fee, annual tuition, and system usage fees. Payments made in installments per semester.
2. Single Course Enrollment (単科): Individual course enrollment allowing students to take specific MBA courses without full program commitment. Each course priced at 92,000 yen with credit recognition upon full admission.
3. Corporate Training Programs (企業研修): Customized corporate training programs utilizing faculty expertise and course content for organizational development needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Japan's first online MBA graduate school, established in 2005, providing a 2-year MBA degree program fully online through its proprietary AirCampus® platform so working professionals can earn an MBA while remaining employed. The curriculum centers on the proprietary RTOCS (Real Time Online Case Study) methodology, in which students analyze approximately 100 current real-world business cases from an executive's perspective. The school also sells single-course enrollment, corporate-sponsored MBA programs, non-degree courses, an international MBA in partnership with Australia's Bond University, and customized corporate training programs.

Product overview

Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business (BBT大学院) operates as a comprehensive online MBA ecosystem built around its core program and proprietary learning technologies. The institution offers Japan's first and largest online MBA with multiple program formats including full MBA degree, single-course enrollment, corporate programs, and international partnerships (BOND-BBT with Australia's Bond University). Central to the offering is RTOCS (Real Time Online Case Study), a unique current-events-based case methodology developed by Professor Ohmae that trains executive decision-making through approximately 100 real-world cases over 2 years. Learning is delivered through the proprietary AirCampus® platform, supplemented by live content programs including 大前研一LIVE (weekly strategic analysis) and BBTルーティン (daily thinking exercises). The institution also maintains mbaSwitch, an editorial content platform, and facilitates the 向研会 executive community for peer learning among business leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RTOCS（Real Time Online Case Study）: BBT大学院独自のケースメソッド。現在進行形の実在企業課題を取り上げ、経営者視点で問題解決力を実践的に養う演習科目。
• AirCampus
• RTOCS（Real Time Online Case Study）
• AirCampus
• RTOCS（Real Time Online Case Study）
• AirCampus
• RTOCS（Real Time Online Case Study）
• AirCampus

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 case study exercises (RTOCS) completed over 2-year program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 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

One partnership is on record.

• BOND University (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005BOND-BBT joint MBA program offering international credential through Australian Bond University's partnership. Allows students to obtain overseas formal MBA degree through BBT's online delivery methodology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Quantic School of Business: US-based fully-online, mobile-first MBA program. While not Japan-focused, it represents the broader category of online-first MBA programs that compete globally for working professionals and validates the online-MBA thesis BBT pioneered in Japan.
• Business School Lausanne: Switzerland-based smaller business school with online and hybrid MBA offerings. Comparable in being a practitioner-oriented, online-capable graduate business school, though international and much smaller in scale than BBT.

Broad incumbents

• IE Business School: Spain-based global business school with established online MBA formats. Comparable to BBT in deploying practitioner-led online graduate business education, though serving an international rather than Japan-specific audience.
• Keio Business School (KBS): The flagship business school at Keio University, one of Japan's most prestigious universities, offering MBA and executive education programs. A traditional incumbent that has expanded into online/distance learning, competing with BBT for both students and corporate training budgets.
• Waseda Business School: Waseda University's graduate business school offering MBA and executive education. A large established incumbent leveraging the Waseda brand to compete in the Japanese graduate business education market, including online formats.
• Hult International Business School: Global business school with campuses in multiple regions and online MBA options. Comparable to BBT in offering practitioner-focused graduate business education with international delivery models.

Direct peers

• NUCB Business School (Nagoya University of Commerce & Business): Japan-based AACSB-accredited business school offering English-language MBA programs (including online formats). Targets both Japanese working professionals and international students; competes with BBT in the same broad business-school category with growing online delivery.
• Globis University (Globis Management Education): Japan's other major online/distance MBA provider, founded in 2006. Offers a similar online MBA program targeting working professionals in Japan with practitioner faculty. The closest direct competitor to BBT in the Japanese online MBA category.
• Globis Management School: Globis's practitioner-led online business education platform offering courses, certificates, and MBA-adjacent programs to Japanese professionals. Overlaps with BBT's audience (Japanese working professionals) and pedagogy (case-based, practitioner faculty).

Regional players

• Open University of Japan: Japan's largest distance-learning university offering undergraduate and graduate programs online. While not specifically an MBA-focused institution, it competes for the same pool of Japanese working professionals seeking flexible, fully-online credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bbtmba
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bbtunivmba1
• Facebookfacebook.com/bbtunivmba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business