（株）学研エデュケーショナル

What （株）学研エデュケーショナル does

Gakken Educational Co., Ltd. (株式会社学研エデュケーショナル) is the core subsidiary of publicly listed Gakken Holdings (Tokyo Prime, ticker 9470) carrying the group's classroom and supplementary education business. Established October 1, 2009, as part of Gakken Holdings' transition to a holding-company structure, the company traces its operating history back to 1946 through the parent group and to 1980 for the Gakken Classroom flagship program. It operates Japan's largest franchised supplementary education network, with 18,000+ Gakken Classroom locations, approximately 367,000 enrolled members, and 1,600 Gakken Preschool Classroom locations serving roughly 25,000 children in extracurricular programs. The company serves families with children from infancy through junior high school, targeting cognitive skill development (math, Japanese, English) alongside non-cognitive ability cultivation (persistence, self-efficacy, self-esteem).

The product portfolio spans core classroom instruction (Gakken Classroom, Gakken Preschool Classroom, Gakken CAI School, Gakken Square for accessibility-focused delivery, and Mebae Classroom for early-childhood intelligence education acquired in 2021), correspondence courses, online learning services (Gakken Classroom Online launched 2022, Kotoba Park online Japanese launched 2021), specialized STEM offerings (Monono Shikumi Kenkyūshitsu and Shikumi Kids robot programming courses built on Artec blocks and Scratch), and supporting digital platforms including the Gakken Classroom Cloud Room (BYOD digital problems, working-memory-based language training, parent-facing Manamil monitoring app). The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gakken Holdings and operates additional subsidiaries including Gakken Quest (preschool classrooms), Gakken Seminar (cram schools), and Gakken Link (acquired October 2024, formerly the Kodansha Pal split company operating 120 Kodansha Kodomo Classroom locations in shopping centers).

The business model is primarily a franchise-licensing model where Gakken Educational supplies proprietary curriculum, teaching materials, brand standards, training, and the Cloud Room digital platform to 18,000+ independent franchise operators who handle local classroom operations. Revenue is generated through monthly subscription tuition paid by families (typically ¥5,940-¥10,780/month for online programs), one-time program fees for summer/special courses and robot-programming kits, registration fees (frequently waived in seasonal campaigns), and corporate sales via wholly-owned subsidiary classroom operations. Go-to-market combines national brand campaigns (TV commercials featuring Tomokazu and Miu Harimoto since 2018, social media on Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, seasonal zero-registration-fee enrollment campaigns) with franchise-level local marketing, and is supported by shopping-center distribution through Gakken Link and a forthcoming university-campus channel via the Ariake University partnership. Following the October 2024 Gakken Link acquisition, the group became No. 2 in Japan for shopping-center-based learning facility operations.

Name

（株）学研エデュケーショナル

Legal name

株式会社学研エデュケーショナル

Website

https://gakken-educational.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gakken Educational Co., Ltd. operates Japan's largest franchised supplementary education network through 18,000+ Gakken Classroom locations and 1,600 preschool classrooms serving approximately 367,000 members, offering math, Japanese, and English instruction for children from infancy through junior high school via franchise, online, and hybrid learning models.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supplemental Education Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12) (EDAJADAI), Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL), Interactive Learning Games & Gamified Courseware (EDAGALAL)

Keywords

• Supplemental education
• Children tutoring services
• Learning classroom franchise
• Early childhood education
• Online language learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo (Shinagawa-ku)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 学研教室 月謝 (Gakken Classroom Tuition): Monthly tuition fees paid by families for classroom-based learning services. Fee structure includes registration fee (入会金, typically ¥5,500 for Gakken Classroom) plus monthly tuition. The summer special program (夏の特別教室) charges ¥7,260 including materials for a 3-week course.
2. めばえ教室 月謝 (Mebae Classroom Tuition): Monthly subscription-based tuition for めばえ教室 intelligence development program targeting children from age 1. Registration fee typically ¥6,600.
3. ことばパーク の会費 (Kotoba Park Subscription): Online Japanese language learning service with group course at ¥5,940/month and one-on-one course at ¥10,780/month, plus registration fee of ¥3,300. ことばパークプレ for kindergarten children is also available at similar rates.
4. Robot Programming / Summer Programs: One-time fees for specialized programs such as Summer Robot Research (¥3,240 including materials) and robot programming courses. Reading essay writing course at ¥2,160 for 2 sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gakken Educational Co., Ltd. operates supplemental education services for children in Japan through a nationwide network of franchised Gakken Classrooms, delivering individualized Math, Japanese and English instruction using proprietary curriculum. Its portfolio extends to preschool education, early-childhood intelligence development (Mebae Classroom), correspondence courses, online language learning (Kotoba Park), fully-online classroom service, and STEM robot programming courses, supported by the proprietary Gakken Classroom Cloud Room digital platform.

Product overview

Gakken Educational Co., Ltd. operates a comprehensive education portfolio centered on physical classroom services, supplemented by online learning platforms and educational content products. The core offerings include Gakken Classroom (learning centers for preschool through junior high), Gakken Preschool Classroom (kindergarten-based education), Mebae Classroom (early childhood intelligence education), Gakken Square (accessibility-focused classrooms), Gakken CAI School (ICT-based personalized instruction), and Gakken Correspondence Courses. Supporting digital services include Gakken Classroom Online, Kotoba Park (online language learning), Manamil (parent monitoring app), and the Cloud Room platform. Specialized programs include robot programming courses (Monono Shikumi Kenkyūshitsu and Shikumi Kids), science experiments, art school, and abacus instruction. The company provides hybrid learning combining classroom and online modalities across approximately 3,000 classrooms nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• JCSI Education Service Sector Customer Satisfaction No. 1 (2014, 2015 — 2 consecutive years; additionally 2014: 5 out of 6 indicators ranked No. 1; 2015: all 6 indicators ranked No. 1)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 有明教育芸術短期大学 (Ariake University of Education and Arts)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2025Gakken Group companies (Gakken Method and Gakken Educational) will open 'Gakken CAI School' and 'Gakken Classroom' on the Ariake University campus from Spring 2026. This partnership creates a community education hub, providing after-school learning for nearby children while offering university students teaching opportunities. It addresses both educational access and staffing challenges in urban areas.
• 株式会社講談社パル (Kodansha Pal Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024In October 2024, Gakken Educational acquired 100% of shares in a newly established split company of Kodansha Pal (Kodansha Pal established the company through a company split on October 1, 2024), making it a wholly-owned subsidiary named 株式会社学研Link (Gakken Link Co., Ltd.). This acquisition made the group No. 2 in Japan for shopping-center-based learning facilities. Gakken Link operates 'Kodansha Kodomo Classroom' with 120 locations in 25 prefectures, providing early childhood intellectual and English education services in commercial facilities.
• 株式会社講談社パル (Kodansha Pal Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2024Gakken Educational reached a basic agreement with Kodansha Pal on June 14, 2024, regarding the business succession of 'Kodansha Kodomo Classroom.' Kodansha Pal operated Kodomo Classroom since November 1979, with 120 locations in 18 prefectures. This was the precursor to the October 2024 share acquisition. Gakken Educational succeeded the business to integrate it into the group.
• 株式会社綜合教育センター (Sogo Education Center Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021In July 2021, Gakken Educational succeeded the business of 'Chinoikaku Mebae Classroom' (知能教育 めばえ教室) from Sogo Education Center. This acquisition strengthened Gakken's early childhood education portfolio by integrating the well-known Mebae Classroom brand (40+ years history) into the group.
• 株式会社小学館集英社プロダクション (Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020In April 2020, Gakken Educational acquired the business of 'Shogakukan Academy' (elementary/middle school tutoring) and 'E-Collabo' (preschool/elementary English) from Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, expanding its preschool and elementary school education offerings.
• CAMEL (Consumers' Association for Mobility and Education Link)minorOthers · 9 April 2019Gakken Educational partnered with CAMEL (poverty家庭の子どもの学習・進学を支援する全国運動) to provide free video course curriculum and teaching materials to support children from low-income households in preparing for high school entrance exams. Gakken supplied 'Chugaku New Course Problem Books' and sent employees as lecturers for free video lectures distributed nationwide.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tokyo Shoseki: Established Japanese textbook publisher and educational content provider serving K-12 schools. Comparable as an incumbent in Japanese K-12 educational content with overlapping curriculum and digital learning initiatives.
• Kodansha (Kodansha Pal): Major Japanese publisher whose former subsidiary Kodansha Pal operated the Kodansha Kodomo Classroom chain (now part of Gakken Link). Comparable as a Japanese educational content and supplementary education incumbent with deep curriculum resources.

Direct peers

• Meiko Gijuku: Long-established Japanese tutoring school franchise targeting elementary through high school students. Directly competes with Gakken Classroom in small-group K-12 supplemental education across Japanese communities.
• Z-Kai Group: Operates Z-Kai correspondence courses and a network of prep schools for high school entrance exams. Directly competes with Gakken Classroom in test preparation and supplementary education for Japanese school-age children.
• Will Group (Will Cooding): Operates alternative education and tutoring programs including Will Cooding, providing K-12 supplementary learning. Comparable to Gakken Classroom in classroom-based supplemental education for school-age children in Japan.
• Yoyogi Zemi (sQuare): Major Japanese test preparation and supplementary education provider operating both classroom-based and online programs. Directly comparable to Gakken Classroom in serving families preparing for high school and university entrance exams.
• Benesse Corporation: Operates Shinkenzemi correspondence courses and other K-12 educational services including Challenge touch and educational publishing. Directly comparable as a major player in Japanese supplementary education and correspondence learning.
• Sapiens Holdings: Operates Sapiens tutoring schools and Sapiens Online, providing K-12 supplemental education across Japan. Direct competitor to Gakken Classroom with both physical classroom and online learning services.
• Kumon: Japan's largest math and reading supplemental education franchise with a global network of study centers. Directly competes with Gakken Classroom in K-12 small-group tutoring using a worksheet-based methodology and franchise model.

Regional players

• Nihon Kogakuin: Japanese cram school (juku) operator with multiple regional locations providing K-12 supplemental education. Comparable as a regional classroom-based tutoring operator serving similar age groups as Gakken Classroom.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GakkenKyoshitsu
• Facebookfacebook.com/gakken.classroom
• Instagraminstagram.com/gakken_classroom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%EF%BC%88%E6%A0%AA%EF%BC%89%E5%AD%A6%E7%A0%94%E3%82%A8%E3%83%87%E3%83%A5%E3%82%B1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 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 （株）学研エデュケーショナル