（株）アスク出版

What （株）アスク出版 does

ASK Publishing Co., Ltd. (株式会社アスク出版) is a privately held Japanese educational publisher founded in 1979 and headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company produces and sells language-learning and caregiving textbooks across Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and select other languages, with a particular focus on test preparation for the JLPT (N5–N1), Eiken, and BJT examinations, as well as caregiving Japanese for foreign workers pursuing Specified Skilled Worker status. Its catalog exceeds 493 titles and includes flagship series such as NIHONGO FUN & EASY, つなぐにほんご, TRY! Nihongo Noryoku Shiken, the 「図解」でわかる！はじめての英検 series, and the 外国人のためのやさしい介護 line.

The firm's product surface combines physical books with integrated audio (delivered through Apple Podcast, Spotify, abceed, and mikan) and supplementary video content. Its go-to-market is purely domestic in terms of distribution: books are sold through Amazon Japan and Rakuten Books and physical bookstore partners, while a separate corporate training division delivers language and business training programs directly to enterprises and educational institutions on a reservation-and-prepayment basis. The company operates without disclosed institutional investment, subsidiaries, or parent-company relationships, and is led by Representative Director Hiroshi Amatani (天谷修身). It has 9 employees and shows no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or technology platforms beyond standard publishing workflows.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; pricing data indicates books retail in the ¥1,408–¥2,750 range under a one-time/perpetual-license model, and corporate training is sold as professional services on a quote basis. The primary customer segments are individual language learners (JLPT/Eiken test takers, students), foreign healthcare and caregiving workers, and corporate/institutional training buyers.

Name

（株）アスク出版

Legal name

株式会社アスク出版 (ASK Publishing Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://ask-books.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASK Publishing Co., Ltd. (株式会社アスク出版) is a privately held Japanese educational publisher founded in 1979 that produces and sells language-learning and caregiving textbooks across six languages, with emphasis on JLPT, Eiken, and caregiving Japanese for foreign workers, distributed domestically through Amazon Japan and Rakuten Books.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Interdisciplinary/General Education & Study Skills (EDAGABAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing (MPAJAFAG)

Keywords

• Language learning books
• Japanese textbooks
• JLPT preparation
• Caregiving textbooks
• English proficiency tests

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Publishing and selling language learning books (Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese) and care/healthcare textbooks through e-commerce platforms. Does not conduct direct mail-order sales.
2. Training Programs: Provides training programs for corporations and organizations. Training fees charged with payment required 3 business days before the program start date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ASK Publishing produces and sells language learning and caregiving textbooks across multiple languages (Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese), supplemented by audio and video learning materials. The company also delivers corporate language and business training programs. Books are distributed through Amazon Japan, Rakuten Books, and physical bookstores, while training programs are sold directly to corporations and organizations.

Product overview

（株）アスク出版 (ASK Publishing Co., Ltd.) is a Japanese publishing company specializing in language learning and caregiving materials. The company operates a multi-product portfolio consisting of: (1) Book Production and Sales services for creating and distributing textbooks; (2) Audio Materials with streaming via Apple Podcast, Spotify, abceed, and mikan platforms; (3) Video Production for educational content; (4) Overseas Business for international distribution; and (5) Language & Business Training programs. The core product lines include the NIHONGO FUN & EASY series for beginner conversation, the comprehensive つなぐにほんご series covering CEFR A1-C2 levels (Beginner through Advanced), the TRY! 日本語能力試験 series for JLPT N5-N1 preparation in multiple language editions, the 「図解」でわかる！はじめての英検 series and 英検ライティング大特訓 series for Eiken test preparation, the 外国人のためのやさしい介護 series for caregiving Japanese, and 家庭教育の書籍 for caregiving topics. Books are available in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other languages, with sales through Amazon and Rakuten Books.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NIHONGO FUN & EASY Series Zero-beginner level Japanese conversation textbooks available in multiple editions including the 2nd Edition, with romaji support and English translations. Designed for absolute beginners learning Japanese conversation.
• つなぐにほんご (Tsunagu Nihongo) Series

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Obunsha (旺文社): Major Japanese educational publisher covering K–12, test prep (Eiken, Kanji Kentei), and reference works. Competes with ASK in Eiken preparation but operates at much larger scale across broader K–12 and reference segments.
• Taishukan (大修館書店): Established Japanese-language reference and textbook publisher known for dictionaries and grammar guides used in university Japanese programs, comparable to ASK in serving advanced Japanese learners and instructors.
• Natsume Publishing (ナツメ社): Japanese publisher of practical reference and study-guide books including Kanji and language test prep. Overlaps with ASK in study-skill and test-prep paperbacks for adult learners.
• Chuohoki Publishing (中央法規出版): Leading Japanese publisher of caregiving, welfare, and healthcare professional materials. Competes with ASK's caregiving/nursing line but at a larger scale across institutional care and welfare agencies.

Direct peers

• Kinseido (金星堂): Long-established Japanese-language textbook publisher focused on university and language school curricula, directly comparable to ASK's CEFR-aligned つなぐにほんご and TRY! series.
• Bonjinsha (凡人社): Japanese publisher of the Genki and Try! series (note: distinct from ASK's TRY! brand), competing directly with ASK in JLPT preparation and university-adopted beginner Japanese textbooks.
• ALC Press (アルク): Established Japanese language-learning publisher with dictionaries, textbooks, and digital learning tools (including abceed). Competes with ASK across Japanese language learning and increasingly in the digital audio/app distribution layer.
• 3A Corporation (スリーエーネットワーク): Publisher of Minna no Nihongo, the dominant Japanese-language textbook series used by language schools worldwide. Direct competitor to ASK's TRY! and つなぐにほんご series in the institutional Japanese-language teaching market.
• The Japan Times Publishing: Publisher of English-language and Japanese-language educational materials aligned with the Japan Times media brand, including news-based learning materials that overlap ASK's English test prep and content marketing approach.

Regional players

• Cambridge University Press Japan: Global academic publisher with English-language learning materials distributed in Japan; overlaps with ASK's Eiken and English test prep segment but operates as a regional arm of an international house.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/japan_askbooks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@アスク公式チャンネル
• Instagraminstagram.com/japan_askbooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%EF%BC%88%E6%A0%AA%EF%BC%89%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AF%E5%87%BA%E7%89%88

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 （株）アスク出版