What Meiko Career Partners does

Meiko Career Partners (明光キャリアパートナーズ), doing business as Meiko Global, is a Japanese foreign-talent solutions firm established in September 2022 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meiko Network Japan (TSE Prime: 4668), a publicly listed education group with over 40 years of operating history through its Meiko Gakushuku tutoring brand. The company provides end-to-end foreign workforce solutions to Japanese enterprises facing structural labor shortages, combining overseas recruitment, pre-departure training, post-arrival language education, and exam preparation. Its service portfolio spans Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) placement across sectors including food service, nursing care, construction management, automobile transport, and manufacturing; IT engineer introduction under the Technical, Humanities, and International Services visa category; corporate training programs; and a registered support organization service.

Its flagship digital asset is Japany, an online Japanese language e-learning platform accessible via smartphone app and web browser, comprising over 1,400 video lessons covering daily Japanese, JLPT N5–N1 preparation, Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 and 2 exam preparation, and industry-specific business Japanese for food service, care, IT, and manufacturing. The platform includes a learning management system for enterprise administrators tracking learner progress, with features such as login analytics, study-time tracking, auto-generated study schedules tied to JLPT exam dates, and push notification management. The platform supports 12 interface languages. Complementing the digital platform is Shokudo Labo, a physical culinary training facility in Indonesia equipped to replicate Japanese restaurant environments, used for pre-departure practical skills training in food service.

Meiko Career Partners operates a multi-stream revenue model combining transaction fees from talent placement, SaaS-style subscription fees for Japany (¥100,000 initial setup plus from ¥1,000 per-user monthly or from ¥9,500 per-user annual subscriptions), professional services fees for exam preparation and corporate training, and government contract revenue from Japanese prefectural governments. The company maintains a sales-led go-to-market motion targeting Japanese HR and operations managers, supplemented by government procurement channels (contracts with Kanagawa, Hiroshima, Kochi, and Fukui prefectures), content marketing through the Meiko Global Magazine, and seminar/webinar programs. The customer base spans over 60 enterprise clients across multiple sectors, with the Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 food service exam preparation course achieving an 81.8% pass rate in 2025, well above the 56.5% national average.

Name

Meiko Career Partners

Legal name

株式会社明光キャリアパートナーズ

Website

https://meikoglobal.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Meiko Career Partners, a Meiko Network Japan subsidiary operating as Meiko Global, recruits and trains foreign workers for Japanese enterprises in food service, care, manufacturing, and IT sectors, combining the Japany e-learning platform, Shokudo Labo culinary training facility, and exam preparation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign-Talent Staffing & Language Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workplace & Career Integration for Immigrants (Credentialing, Job Readiness) (EDAAADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESL for Specific Industries (Healthcare, Hospitality, Construction, etc.) (EDAAACAD), Career & Employability Integration Support (Work Culture, Networking, Job Readiness) (EDAIAKAH), Immigration, Citizenship & Integration Language Exam Prep (EDANACAG), Business & Workplace Language Training (EDANACAC), Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)

Keywords

• Foreign talent recruitment
• Specified skilled worker
• Japanese language e-learning
• IT engineer staffing
• Care worker training

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo (Chiyoda-ku)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Human Resources Introduction / Staffing: Placement fees for introducing Specified Skilled Workers (特定技能人材) and IT engineers to Japanese companies. Covers sectors including food service, care/nursing, construction management, automobile transport, manufacturing, and hospitality.
2. E-Learning Platform Subscription (Japany): SaaS-style subscription model for corporate clients. Initial setup fee plus per-user monthly or annual subscription. Learning management tools for HR administrators included.
3. Exam Preparation Courses: Fee-based preparation courses for care worker national exams (介護福祉士国家試験) and Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 (特定技能2号) exams in food service, manufacturing, and other sectors. Offered online and in-person.
4. Corporate Training / Japanese Lessons: Individual and group Japanese language lessons, business etiquette training, cross-cultural training, and other custom training programs for companies employing foreign workers. Billed per program or as retainer.
5. Government Contracts: Contracts with prefectural governments (Kanagawa, Hiroshima, Kochi, Fukui) to provide Japanese language learning support services for foreign workers in their regions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Meiko Career Partners provides foreign-talent recruitment and placement services under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) program, IT engineer staffing, and Japanese-language education through its Japany (ジャパニー) e-learning platform. It also offers Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 and care-worker certification exam preparation, corporate training programs, and government-contracted foreign-worker onboarding support for Japanese prefectures and enterprises.

Product overview

Meiko Career Partners (Meiko Global) is a foreign talent solutions platform operated by the Meiko Network Japan Group (parent company: Meiko Network Japan Co., Ltd., listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange). The portfolio combines a recruitment matching layer (特定技能人材紹介, ITエンジニア紹介) with an education and retention layer (Japany e-learning platform, in-person/group training, exam prep courses), unified by a registered support infrastructure. Japany is the flagship digital product — a subscription e-learning platform providing 1,400+ videos across JLPT, daily Japanese, and industry-specific business Japanese, paired with an enterprise admin dashboard. Supporting it are live training services (IT engineer recruitment, Specified Skilled Worker recruitment across 8 sectors), exam prep courses (介護福祉士, 特定技能2号 in 4 sectors), and the 明光就職塾 academy for international students — together covering the full lifecycle from talent sourcing and screening through onboarding, upskilling, and long-term retention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shokudo Labo: 外食実技研修センター。印尼の現地教育機関に設置された日本の店舗環境に近い設備でトレーニングを実施。
• 明光キャリアパートナーズ（明光就職）

Products and services

• Japany (ジャパニー) Japanese-Language E-Learning Platform An online Japanese-language learning platform offering on-demand video-based instruction to foreign learners, used both by individual candidates preparing for the JLPT/SSW exams and by Japanese companies onboarding foreign employees. Per company materials, the platform has been deployed to learners across 8 countries and over 400 organizations.
• Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) Recruitment & Placement Recruitment, matching, and placement of foreign candidates into Japanese employers under the Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) visa framework, covering sectors such as food service, nursing care, construction, automobile transport, and manufacturing. The service is sold to Japanese enterprises and, via prefectural contracts, to public-sector clients.
• IT Engineer Staffing Staffing and placement of foreign IT engineers into Japanese technology employers, operated alongside the company's broader foreign-talent recruitment practice.
• Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 (特定技能2号) Exam Preparation Course Training course preparing foreign candidates for the Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 certification examination, helping them meet the upgraded visa requirements applicable to more senior roles.
• Care-Worker Certification Exam Preparation Course Training course preparing candidates for Japan's care-worker certification exam, supporting foreign candidates entering the nursing-care sector under the Specified Skilled Worker program.
• Meiko Career School (Meikoキャリアスクール) Classroom Training Classroom-based Japanese-language and job-readiness training delivered via the Meiko Network Japan classroom network under the Meiko Career School brand, used to prepare foreign candidates for Japanese employment.
• Prefectural Foreign-Worker Onboarding & Training Programs Turnkey foreign-worker onboarding and training programs delivered under contract to Japanese prefectural governments, covering candidate sourcing, Japanese-language instruction, and integration support for local employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81.8% pass rate on Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 (food service) exam — significantly above the national average of 56.5%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2026Entrusted with Hiroshima Prefecture's 'Foreign Human Resources Japanese Language Learning Support Business' for FY2026. Provides Japany e-learning to over 300 accounts for foreign workers (Specified Skilled Workers and Technical Intern Trainees) at 100 companies, plus 3-stage coaching support program.
• Tetra Shift (株式会社テトラ・シフト)coreTechnology or Integration · 13 July 2026Business partnership for education content delivery. Tetra Shift's online video content for Specified Skilled Workers in the automobile transport sector is integrated into Meiko's Japany e-learning platform.
• Kochi Prefecture (高知県)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2026Awarded Kochi Prefecture's FY2026 Japanese Language Learning Support Service contract. Provides Japany licenses to 250 accounts for foreign residents in the prefecture, along with orientation and follow-up coaching for participating organizations.
• Infomart (株式会社インフォーマート)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 March 2026Co-hosted webinar for food service companies on the topic of 'foreign staff immediate productivity and retention mechanisms.' Meiko provided recruitment and education expertise; Infomart provided multi-language training system expertise. Joint event for food service industry HR managers.
• CamTech (株式会社キャムテック)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 March 2026Co-presented seminar on Specified Skilled Worker automobile transport hiring and education. CamTech provided regulatory and system expertise for the automobile transport Specified Skilled Worker program; Meiko provided Japanese language education and training support content.
• Royal Holdings (ロイヤルホールディングス)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Joint human resources development program with Royal Holdings and Hanoi University in Vietnam. Uses AOTS donation course framework to train Vietnamese students in Japanese restaurant business, with practical training at Royal Group stores in Vietnam and Japan. Aims to develop mid-career management talent with 'Technology, Humanities, International Services' residence status.
• Kanagawa Prefecture (神奈川県)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Partnership agreement for promoting Japanese language education for foreign nationals and foreign workers in Kanagawa Prefecture. Meiko provides Japany (3 months free, then 880 JPY/month per person), Japanese lessons, group training, Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 exam preparation courses, and care industry courses for workers in prefecture.
• Fukui Prefecture (福井県)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Awarded Fukui Prefecture's 'Fukui Foreign Human Resources Workplace Retention Support Project' for FY2025. Provides free training programs including business etiquette, cross-cultural communication, intermediate business Japanese, and Japany e-learning to approximately 20 companies in the prefecture.
• AOTS - Association of Overseas Technical Training (海外産業人材育成協会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025AOTS donation course program connecting Japanese companies with overseas universities for human resources development. Meiko supports course development, student career support, company-foreign talent matching, and post-arrival cross-cultural training. Royal Holdings program is executed through this framework.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• AOTS (Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships): Japanese government-affiliated organization that runs overseas human resources development programs (including with Vietnam). Comparable as a partner / ecosystem participant in training foreign workers and connecting overseas talent with Japanese companies.

Direct peers

• YOLO JAPAN: Operates a foreign-worker job-matching platform and supports Japanese-language and lifestyle content for foreign workers in Japan. Directly comparable as a multilingual recruitment and retention-focused service for the same Specified Skilled Worker and international student customer base.
• Willof: Japanese staffing firm with a major foreign-worker segment (formerly known for Filipino and other international talent placement). Comparable to Meiko in providing placement, Japanese language support, and post-arrival retention services across care, food service, and similar sectors.
• Leverages: Provides foreign-worker recruitment, Japanese-language training, and integration support services for Specified Skilled Workers and international students. Directly comparable in target customers, recruiting-Plus-teaching model, and Japan-focused operational footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Human Holdings: Diversified staffing and education group with a foreign-worker division and language schools (JCLI, Glats). Comparable as a broad incumbent offering both education and staffing for foreign workers in Japan.
• Pasona Group: One of Japan's largest staffing and HR services groups with a dedicated foreign-talent subsidiary (Pasona Global). Comparable as a broad incumbent offering foreign-worker placement, training, and BPO at significantly larger scale than Meiko.
• Dip Corporation: Operates Indeed Japan and Baitoru staffing platforms with growing foreign-worker support services. Comparable as a broad incumbent with adjacent services in temporary staffing and job-matching for Japanese employers.
• Recruit Holdings: Global HR services giant operating Indeed, Rikunabi, and other recruitment brands. Overlaps with Meiko in Japanese-language job placement and corporate hiring, though Meiko's deep specialization in foreign-worker integration is narrower.

Emerging players

• Sage Next (EduPro): Provides Japanese-language training and migration support for foreign professionals seeking employment in Japan. Comparable as a niche player in Japanese language training with focus on employment outcomes.

Regional players

• JR East Career Support (JEC): Career support services for international students and foreign workers in Japan, including Japanese-language training and job placement. Comparable in international student employment support and Japanese-language education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%E6%A0%AA%E5%BC%8F%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%98%8E%E5%85%89%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E3%83%8A%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Meiko Career Partners