Shizenkan University

What Shizenkan University does

Shizenkan University is a private Japanese graduate school located in central Tokyo (Nihonbashi Takashimaya Mitsui Building 17F) that offers a two-year full-time MBA in Design and Leadership for Societal Innovation. Established in 2017 and officially opened on August 20, 2018, the university is operated by an educational corporation (学校法人至善館, Gakkou Houjin Shizenkan) that traces its lineage to the Institute for Strategic Leadership (ISL), founded in 2001 to provide whole-person leadership education for corporate executives. Through August 2025, the school has produced 455 MBA graduates across cohorts from the Class of 2020 to the Class of 2026, with a stated annual intake capacity of approximately 80 students drawn from 35 nationalities and a combined alumni network exceeding 2,000 individuals across its MBA and executive programs.

The university's product portfolio centers on its MBA program, complemented by executive education (via ISL), a non-degree study program, and four research centers: the Liberal Arts Center, the Center on Impact Economy, the Circular Futures Design Center, and the IESE-Shizenkan Center for Future of Capitalism (which hosts the global FoC MBA course). Core revenue is generated by MBA tuition of 5,000,000 JPY per student over two years (200,000 JPY enrollment fee plus 2,400,000 JPY annually), with secondary revenue from executive and non-degree programs. Distribution is direct via a website-based admissions process with three application cycles per year, online interviews via Zoom, and an admissions review committee; recruitment marketing is conducted through open classes, information sessions, individual consultations, alumni storytelling, and ambassador-led events. The institution has no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or disclosed AI capabilities, and its competitive moat rests on its differentiated pedagogy, cross-sector cohort composition, and international research partnerships.

Name

Shizenkan University

Legal name

学校法人至善館 (Gakkou Houjin Shizenkan)

Website

https://shizenkan.ac.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shizenkan University is a private Tokyo-based graduate school offering a two-year MBA in Design and Leadership for Societal Innovation. It serves ~80 mid-career professionals annually from 35 nationalities, generating tuition revenue and operating executive education and four research centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Global Research Universities (Multi-Campus/International Footprint) (EDAHABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities (EDAHABAD)

Keywords

• Graduate Business Education
• MBA Programs
• Higher Education
• Leadership Development
• Design Management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue stream from MBA program tuition fees totaling 5,000,000 Japanese Yen per student over 2 years, comprising enrollment fee (200,000 yen) and annual tuition (2,400,000 yen per year). Additional revenue from optional field studies and executive education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shizenkan University is a private graduate school in Tokyo that delivers an MBA program in Design and Leadership for Societal Innovation, with a two-year curriculum taught in English to a small, internationally diverse cohort. The university is operated by an educational corporation (gakkou houjin) and supported by affiliated research centers and scholarship programs for incoming students.

Product overview

Shizenkan University operates as a graduate school of leadership and innovation offering a unified MBA program in Design and Leadership for Societal Innovation, complemented by Executive Education programs and Non-Degree Study options. The university's research ecosystem comprises four specialized centers: the Liberal Arts Center, Center on Impact Economy, Circular Futures Design Center, and the IESE-Shizenkan Center for Future of Capitalism (which hosts the Future of Capitalism global MBA course). The institution's educational philosophy centers on whole-person management leadership, distinguishing it from traditional American-style MBA programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MBA in Design and Leadership for Societal Innovation
• Affiliated Research Centers
• Scholarship Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 455 MBA graduates as of August 2025 with demonstrated career advancement and entrepreneurial ventures
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UN Global Compact Network JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2024Co-hosted joint forum with IESE Business School on 'Redefining Value Creation by Companies in the Age of Sustainability and Wellbeing' with approximately 200 participants. Collaboration supports Shizenkan's mission of advancing sustainable business practices.
• IESE Business School (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-established the IESE-Shizenkan Center for Future of Capitalism to explore roles and responsibilities of business enterprises and leaders. Jointly develops and runs the Future of Capitalism (FoC) Project, a global dialogue platform with 20+ business schools across five continents. Co-hosts annual FoC Program as MBA elective at both institutions.
• ISL (Institute for Strategic Leadership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISL is the founding body of Shizenkan University. Founded in 2001, ISL developed whole-person leadership education approach over nearly 20 years before establishing Shizenkan. Has produced nearly 1,800 management leaders including top executives. ISL continues to offer executive programs alongside Shizenkan's MBA.
• EU Delegation to JapanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides promotional cooperation for the EU-Shizenkan Scholarship program, which offers financial support for applicants from EU countries to foster economic ties between Japan and EU.
• Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ANZCCJ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgreement-based partnership providing ANZCCJ-Shizenkan Scholarship to support applicants from Australia and New Zealand, contributing to friendship and economic ties between Japan and ANZ region.
• Pathways Japan PJ and Non Profit Organization WELgeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partners for the Refugee Higher Education Scholarship, which provides full tuition support for persons with refugee status living in Japan, aligned with Shizenkan's purpose of nurturing leaders for inclusive society.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IESE Business School: Top European MBA program and Shizenkan's strategic partner in the IESE-Shizenkan Center for Future of Capitalism. Directly comparable on whole-person leadership philosophy and global executive education footprint.
• Waseda Business School: Major Japanese MBA program offering full-time and part-time tracks in Tokyo with strong corporate-recruiter pipeline. Comparable as a private-sector Japan MBA competing for the same mid-career professional segment.
• Keio Business School (KBS): One of Japan's premier MBA programs, offering full-time and evening MBA degrees in Tokyo. Directly comparable to Shizenkan as a Japan-based private graduate school competing for the same working-professional MBA candidates.
• NUCB Business School: Japan-based AACSB-accredited MBA with strong international cohort and English-language tracks. Comparable to Shizenkan on global student composition and full-time English-language MBA delivery in Japan.
• Hitotsubashi ICS: Tokyo-based MBA program known for liberal-arts-influenced management education and small cohorts. Most directly comparable to Shizenkan on cohort scale and humanities-influenced curriculum philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• INSEAD: Global MBA with multi-campus (France, Singapore, Abu Dhabi) model and strong Asia presence. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering international MBA experiences that compete for the same globally mobile candidates.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business: Global MBA leader with whole-person leadership philosophy embedded in its curriculum. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering similar humanistic-management content at much larger scale and global brand recognition.

Regional players

• Singapore Management University (Lee Kong Chian School of Business): Asia-based MBA with strong societal-impact and sustainability focus in its curriculum and research centers. Comparable as a regional peer addressing similar impact-economy themes across Asia.
• CEIBS (China Europe International Business School): China-based MBA with established Asia-Europe leadership positioning. Comparable as a regional peer offering MBA programs with similar cross-cultural management and societal-impact orientations.

Others

• ISL (Institute for Strategic Leadership): Founding body of Shizenkan and its executive education arm, producing ~1,800 executives over 20 years. Directly comparable as the upstream institution feeding Shizenkan's curriculum IP, faculty, and alumni pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shizenkanunive1
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShizenkanUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shizenkan-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 Shizenkan University