Nishiyamato Academy

What Nishiyamato Academy does

Nishiyamato Academy of California is a MEXT-certified (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) nonprofit Japanese international school founded in 1993 in Lomita, California, operating as part of the broader Nishiyamato Academy Group headquartered in Nara, Japan. The school runs three interconnected programs serving Japanese-heritage children in the United States: a full-time Weekday School (kindergarten through grade 9) on the Lomita campus with approximately 130 students; a Saturday Supplementary School across three Southern California campuses (Lomita, Palos Verdes, Irvine) with approximately 750 students attending local U.S. schools during the week; and an Online Supplementary School launched in April 2022 that delivers live ZOOM-based Japanese lessons nationwide. Total enrollment across all programs is approximately 880 students supported by 70 staff members.

The technology stack is deliberately lean: ZOOM provides live video instruction for online classes, Google Classroom serves as the learning management system, and the school has developed proprietary original kindergarten workbooks since 2023 tailored for Japanese-heritage children raised in the United States. A digital library enables remote borrowing of Japanese-language books. The institution holds a unique regulatory position as the only full-time Japanese school on the U.S. West Coast, authorized to grant Japanese graduation credentials, and operates a sister school recommendation system with West Yamato Gakuen in Nara that channels graduates into top Japanese universities (Tokyo University, Kyoto University, national medical schools).

Revenue is generated through tuition, application fees ($110 for kindergarten, $190 for elementary/middle school), and tax-deductible donations. The organization operates as a nonprofit with no public listing, no external investment, and no disclosed revenue figures. Geographic reach extends across California (three Saturday School campuses plus the Lomita headquarters), Texas, San Jose, and nationwide via the Online School. Additional revenue expansion is signaled by an Extended Daycare service at the affiliated kindergarten scheduled to launch in April 2026.

Name

Nishiyamato Academy

Legal name

Nishiyamato Academy of California

Website

https://nacus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nishiyamato Academy of California is a MEXT-certified nonprofit Japanese international school operating full-time Weekday, three-campus Saturday Supplementary, and nationwide Online Supplementary programs serving approximately 880 Japanese-heritage students in the United States with a sister school pathway to top Japanese universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International K-12 Education

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJABAL

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJABAG

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAMAFAA

General Language Schools & Institutes

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Language Learning & Conversation Programs

SECONDARYEDAJAFAJ

World Languages Instruction (School-Delivered)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

SECONDARYEDACABAH

Bilingual/Language-Immersion Preschools

Education/Early Childhood Education/Preschools & Pre-K Programs

Keywords

• Japanese bilingual education
• International school programs
• Supplementary weekend school
• Online Japanese classes
• Kindergarten bilingual immersion

Headquarters

HQ city

Lomita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and School Fees: Revenue from tuition fees for the Weekday School (full-time day program), Saturday School (supplementary school), and Online School programs. The school operates as a nonprofit educational organization (NonProfit Organization) with donations as a supplementary revenue source.
2. Application Fees: Application processing fees for enrollment. Weekday School: $110 for kindergarten applicants, $190 for elementary/middle school applicants.
3. Donations: The school is a nonprofit educational organization (NonProfit Organization); donations are accepted and are tax-deductible under US tax law. Annual fundraising campaigns accompany seasonal greetings and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nishiyamato Academy provides Japanese-language bilingual education to Japanese expatriate families in the United States through three programs: a full-time Weekday School (kindergarten through middle school) at the Lomita campus, a Saturday Supplementary School at three Southern California campuses, and an Online Supplementary School delivered via live ZOOM classes. The school is MEXT-certified and offers a structured pathway to top Japanese universities through its sister school relationship with West Yamato Gakuen.

Product overview

Nishiyamato Academy operates three interconnected educational programs: a Weekday School (full-time Japanese school for kindergarten through middle school), a Saturday Supplementary School (weekend Japanese education at three California campuses), and an Online Supplementary School (live interactive Japanese lessons via video conferencing). The institution offers bilingual education combining Japanese and English instruction, with the Weekday School providing the primary full-time program and the supplementary schools serving families who also attend local American schools. Additional services include a digital library, extended daycare at the affiliated kindergarten, and original educational materials developed specifically for overseas Japanese children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekday School (西大和学園カリフォルニア校平日校) Full-time Japanese school (kindergarten through grade 9) operating Monday through Friday at the Lomita campus, offering Japanese Ministry of Education-certified curriculum with bilingual education combining Japanese and English instruction at a 7:3 ratio. Designed for Japanese expatriate families seeking comprehensive Japanese-language education.
• Saturday Supplementary School (西大和学園補習校) Weekend supplementary Japanese school serving kindergarten through middle school at three Southern California campuses (Lomita, Palos Verdes, Irvine). Students study Japanese textbooks on Saturday mornings while attending local American schools during weekdays. Approximately 750 students enrolled across three campuses.
• Online Supplementary School (西大和学園オンライン補習校) Online supplementary Japanese education for kindergarten through grade 6, offering live interactive classes via ZOOM. Serves families nationwide who cannot attend in-person supplementary school due to distance or scheduling conflicts.
• Affiliated Kindergarten (附属幼稚園) Full-day kindergarten program at the Lomita campus offering Japanese-language education, with daycare/extended childcare services available for working parents.
• Digital Library (デジタル図書館) Digital library service allowing students to borrow and read Japanese books using personal computers, smartphones, or tablets from anywhere. Available to enrolled students of the Online Supplementary School.
• Original Kindergarten Workbooks (西大和学園USA 幼稚園オリジナルワークブック) Original educational workbooks for kindergarten students developed specifically for children growing up in the United States, covering hiragana, katakana, and numbers. Created since 2023 and refined through multiple editions to address vocabulary, cultural context, and learning approaches distinct from children in Japan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6th grade students aim to pass Eiken Grade 2; middle school graduates aim for Eiken Grade Pre-First (準1級)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 海外子女教育振興財団 (Overseas Children Education Foundation / JOES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2023A public interest foundation that supports Japanese children education worldwide. The foundation promotes overseas Japanese educational institutions, distributes textbooks, offers pre-departure English seminars, provides post-return support, and offers individual educational counseling. The foundation's chairman visited the school in October 2023.
• Ridgecrest Intermediate School (for Saturday School Palos Verdes campus)coreOthersThe Palos Verdes campus of the Saturday School operates at the Ridgecrest Intermediate School facility. The school rents space at this location for Saturday classes serving grades 4-9.
• Portola High School (for Saturday School Irvine campus)coreOthersThe Irvine campus of the Saturday School operates at the Portola High School facility. The school rents space at this location for Saturday classes serving kindergarten through grade 9.
• 西大和学園中学校・高等学校 (West Yamato Gakuen Junior and Senior High School)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister school in Nara Prefecture, Japan. Operates a special 'sister school recommendation system' allowing NAC graduates to enter West Yamato Gakuen without entrance examinations. West Yamato Gakuen is a top Japanese preparatory school with strong records at Tokyo University (79 admits), Kyoto University (40 admits), and national medical schools (46 admits, 2022).
• 慶応NY学院 (Keio New York Academy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Keio New York Academy principal and spouse visited the school to exchange information about both institutions. Both schools are Japanese educational institutions in North America and share a commitment to Japanese education abroad.
• NIJIYA MarketminorOthersJapanese grocery store chain that partners with the school for 3rd-grade field trips. Students learn about local commerce and supply chains through 'NIJIYA exploration' activities. Content from the trips has been published in NIJIYA's 'Gochiso Magazine.'
• Pali Institute Outdoor Education CenterminorOthersThe 2-night/3-day overnight outdoor education camp held annually for grades 5-9 is conducted at the Pali Institute in California. Students engage in nature activities, team-building exercises, and leadership development.
• 南カリフォルニア大学 (University of Southern California / USC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiddle school students visit USC as part of off-campus study trips. Students interact with Japanese-language university students and attend lectures by professors in film, television, and game studies departments.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Japanese Language School of Greater Cincinnati: Midwestern Saturday Japanese supplementary school with K-9 instruction for Japanese expat children. Operates the same MEXT-aligned supplementary curriculum model as Nishiyamato's Saturday School.
• Seattle Japanese School: Saturday Japanese supplementary school in the Pacific Northwest serving K-9 children of Japanese expat families. Comparable supplementary model and demographic; a regional peer competing for similar families outside California.
• Japanese School of San Diego: Japanese supplementary school in Southern California operating a similar Saturday-morning Japanese curriculum model for K-9 children of Japanese expat families. Geographic overlap with Nishiyamato's SoCal market.
• Japanese Language School of New York (JLSNY): Long-running Saturday Japanese supplementary school serving Japanese expat families in the New York tristate area with K-9 curriculum. Directly comparable supplementary model and customer demographic to Nishiyamato's Saturday School.
• Japanese School of Greater Washington: Saturday Japanese supplementary school in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area serving K-9 students of Japanese expat families. Comparable supplementary school model in a different U.S. region.
• Keio New York Academy: Full-time Japanese school in New York serving Japanese expat children K-9 with a similar weekday + supplementary structure. Directly comparable in mission, curriculum, and customer base, and is even mentioned in Nishiyamato's own partnerships list as a peer institution.

Regional players

• Toronto Japanese School: Canadian Japanese supplementary school with a similar Saturday format serving K-9 students. Operates outside Nishiyamato's U.S. territory but with the same curriculum philosophy and customer demographic of Japanese expat families.
• Japanese School of Guam: MEXT-aligned overseas Japanese school in Guam serving Japanese expat children. Operates in a similar supplementary/full-time institutional niche but in a distinct geographic market from Nishiyamato.

Others

• Association of Japanese Schools in the United States (AJS): Umbrella association that accredits and coordinates MEXT-certified Japanese supplementary schools across the U.S. Not a competitor but the industry body within which Nishiyamato and its peers operate.

Broad incumbents

• West Yamato Gakuen (Nara): The Japan-based sister school of Nishiyamato Academy; a prestigious Japanese preparatory school (中高一貫) with elite university placement records. Not a competitor but the upstream pipeline that feeds Nishiyamato's middle-school graduates into top Japanese universities via recommendation system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nacniccy
• Facebookfacebook.com/nishiyamatoacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/nishiyamato_online
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nishiyamato-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Nishiyamato Academy