Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute - SNG

What Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute - SNG does

Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute (SNG) is a Tokyo-based private Japanese language education institution founded in 1975, operating under the Ezoe Educational Foundation. Headquartered in Takadanobaba, Shinjuku ward, the school runs three campus buildings plus an Okutama training center and employs 24 staff, serving 700+ enrolled students drawn from 60+ countries. SNG delivers a comprehensive curriculum spanning beginner through advanced levels, including weekday student-visa courses (1, 1.5, and 2-year programs at ¥840K–¥1.68M), JLPT and EJU exam preparation, short-term courses (¥5,000/day), evening and Saturday classes, private lessons, online classes, and an annual Summer Course combining language study with cultural immersion.

The school's core differentiator is the proprietary Ezoe Method — a 50+ year visual learning pedagogy developed by Chairman Takahide Ezoe, productized as Visual Learning Japanese (VLJ) mobile and tablet apps on iOS 6.1+ and Android 4.0.3+, sold through Stripe and shop.sng.ac.jp (Shopify). SNG holds ISO 29991:2020 certification and approvals from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and Nisshinkyo, and has built a designated school recommendation network covering 100+ Japanese universities and vocational schools. The institution operates a wholly-owned Paris branch and representative agencies in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan, and runs the Ezoe Research Institute and a teacher training program (日本語教師養成講座) as supporting infrastructure.

SNG's revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees paid by individual international students, supplemented by private lesson revenue, online class fees, short-term course charges, Summer Course fees, and textbook sales through the online store. International payments are processed via Flywire, supporting a direct-to-consumer, sales-led GTM motion with overseas channel partners. The school handles full Certificate of Eligibility (COE) processing with the Japan Immigration Services Agency on behalf of visa-track students, providing end-to-end enrollment-to-employment support including free 30-minute counseling sessions and designated school recommendations.

Name

Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute - SNG

Legal name

Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute of the Ezoe Educational Foundation

Website

https://sng.ac.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute (SNG) is a Tokyo-based private Japanese language school founded in 1975, serving 700+ international students from 60+ countries through weekday courses, JLPT/EJU prep, online classes, and its proprietary Ezoe Method visual learning system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Language Schools (61163)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

English Language Schools (ESL/EFL) (EDAIAEAB)

Keywords

• Japanese language education
• Language school services
• Student visa programs
• JLPT exam preparation
• EJU exam preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: Primary revenue from tuition fees for weekday Japanese language courses, JLPT preparation, EJU preparation, and other structured programs. Tuition is charged per term or enrollment period (e.g., ¥840,000 per year for a 1-year weekday course), with registration, processing, educational material, and insurance fees as separate line items.
2. Short-Term Course Fees: Revenue from short-term courses (less than 3 months) charged at ¥5,000 per day for 4 hours of instruction, with a base registration fee of ¥40,000 and material fees of ¥15,000.
3. Private Lessons: One-to-one private Japanese lessons priced at ¥92,000 for 10 hours, with additional hours at ¥7,700 per hour (or ¥8,800 per hour for online evening classes after 6pm JST).
4. Summer Course: A month-long summer course priced at ¥300,000, including lodging, day trips, free activities, and a yukata (casual summer kimono).
5. Online Japanese Classes: Online Japanese classes offered at ¥49,500 for 30 hours (JPY 1,650 per hour), with multiple weekly schedule options in Japan Standard Time.
6. Textbook and Material Sales: Textbook and teaching material sales through the school's online store (shop.sng.ac.jp), including both physical and digital teaching materials developed in-house.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute (SNG) is a private Japanese language education institution in Tokyo offering in-person Japanese courses from beginner to advanced levels, including weekday, evening, Saturday, short-term, summer, and private lessons. The school provides student visa sponsorship and Immigration Bureau paperwork, JLPT and EJU exam preparation, and university/vocational school admission support. Its proprietary Ezoe Method visual learning system is delivered via smartphone and tablet apps (VLJ).

Product overview

Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute (SNG) is a Japanese language education institution offering a comprehensive suite of courses and learning tools. The core offering consists of in-person Japanese language courses (weekday, evening, Saturday, and short-term programs) complemented by the proprietary Ezoe Method visual learning system with smartphone/tablet apps. Additional offerings include JLPT and EJU preparation courses, private lessons, online Japanese classes, and a Summer Course program combining language study with cultural immersion activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Daily Japanese Language Course (Weekday Course) Daily weekday Japanese language courses for international students on student visas, offering 1-year, 1.5-year, and 2-year programs with comprehensive language instruction and full visa sponsorship support.
• JLPT Preparation Course Comprehensive exam preparation course designed to help students pass the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), covering all N1-N5 levels.
• EJU Preparation Course Preparation course for the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU), covering required subjects for university admission.
• Short Term Course Flexible Japanese language courses for short-term visitors, working holiday visa holders, and Japan residents with non-student visa status, priced at ¥5,000/day for 4 hours of instruction.
• Evening Classes Evening Japanese language classes for working professionals and students who cannot attend weekday daytime courses.
• Saturday Classes Saturday Japanese language courses for individuals seeking weekend flexibility for language study.
• Summer Course Intensive one-month Japanese language and culture program running from July 1-30, combining morning language study with afternoon cultural activities, day trips, and traditional Japanese experiences including yukata wearing.
• Private Japanese Lessons One-to-one personalized Japanese lessons with tailor-made curriculum, available both in-person and online with qualified native Japanese teachers; priced at ¥92,000 for 10 hours.
• Online Japanese Classes Online Japanese language classes with flexible scheduling (weekday evenings and Saturdays in Japan Standard Time GMT+9), offering courses from beginner to business Japanese levels at ¥49,500 for 30 hours.
• Kanji Course Specialized kanji instruction courses designed to help students master Japanese characters as part of their overall language learning.
• Visual Learning Japanese (VLJ) / Ezoe Method App Proprietary visual learning system developed by SNG for teaching Japanese to foreigners, available as smartphone and tablet apps (iOS and Android) that deliver the Ezoe Method curriculum interactively.
• Textbook and Teaching Material Sales Physical and digital textbooks and teaching materials developed in-house by SNG, sold through the school's online store (shop.sng.ac.jp) for current and prospective students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 enrolled students from 60+ countries, with graduates active at partner universities and vocational schools — indicating successful academic placement outcomes.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FlywirecoreTechnology or IntegrationSNG has partnered with Flywire to streamline the international payment process for tuition and fees. Flywire allows international students to pay securely from any country, handling currency conversion and payment tracking on behalf of the school.
• 100+ Japanese Universities and Vocational Schools (Designated School Recommendation Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSNG has established a network of designated school recommendation partnerships with over 100 Japanese universities and vocational schools. SNG graduates who meet academic criteria (90%+ attendance, strong grades) can receive recommendation letters that reduce their entrance examination burden. Partner institutions include Hosei University, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Toyo University, Tokyo Keizai University, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Digital Hollywood University, and many vocational schools in fields including IT, culinary arts, beauty, automotive, hospitality, and healthcare.
• Google (Google Analytics, Gmail, Google Classroom, Google Appsheet, Google Drive)coreTechnology or IntegrationSNG uses multiple Google services for operations: Google Analytics for website analytics, Gmail for email communications with students, Google Classroom for educational delivery, Google Appsheet for custom applications, and Google Drive for secure data storage including payment history, attendance records, registration documents, visa documents, health records, and student history.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationSNG uses Shopify as its payment processing service for its online textbook store (shop.sng.ac.jp). Shopify handles credit card information, bank details, transaction history, billing address, and payment activity.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationSNG uses Stripe as a payment processing service, handling credit card information, bank details, transaction history, and payment activity for course fees. Stripe also powers the VLJ mobile app purchase flow (buy.stripe.com).
• Japan Immigration Services AgencycoreOthersSNG submits Certificate of Eligibility (COE) applications to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan on behalf of student visa applicants. The school handles all immigration paperwork, representing students before the agency.
• SNG France (Paris Branch)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSNG operates its own overseas branch in Paris, France, providing local recruitment, information services, and application support for prospective European students.
• Overseas Representative Agencies (Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSNG partners with local recruitment agencies in Hong Kong (Nikkei Japanese Language School, Hello Japan), Vietnam (Sakura Japanese Language Institute), Thailand (Lighthouse Info Service/JEDUCATION), and Malaysia (Inter-Cultural Language School), and multiple agencies in Taiwan (ACD, Nihon Mura, GOGO JAPAN, JPTIP) to recruit students and provide local application support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yu Language School: Tokyo-based Japanese language school offering student visa courses, JLPT preparation, and cultural programs. Overlapping student demographic and university pathway offerings.
• Genki Japanese Language School: Japanese language school offering both long-term student visa courses and short-term programs in Tokyo. Similar mix of tuition-driven revenue, JLPT/EJU prep, and overseas recruitment.
• ISI Japanese Language School: One of Japan's largest Japanese language school networks with multiple campuses in Tokyo, Kyoto, and elsewhere. Directly competes with SNG for international students seeking student visa courses and university pathways.
• YIEA Tokyo Academy: Japanese language school in Tokyo offering student visa courses, JLPT preparation, and university admission support. Comparable scale and offerings to SNG's core weekday program.
• Lexis Japan: Japanese language school in Tokyo serving international students with student visa courses and intensive programs. Comparable in scale and target customer profile to SNG.
• Coto Japanese Language Academy: Tokyo-based Japanese language school offering student visa courses, private lessons, and online classes. Overlapping product portfolio and target international student demographic.
• Akamonkai Japanese Language School: Long-established Tokyo-based Japanese language school serving international students with student visa programs, JLPT preparation, and university admission guidance. Closely comparable in mandate and student profile to SNG.
• ARC Academy (Tokyo School of Japanese Language): Tokyo-based Japanese language school with multiple campus locations serving international students. Direct competitor for student visa programs and university pathway placements.

Regional players

• KIC Kyoto International Culture Institute: Established Japanese language school based in Kyoto. Similar product set (student visa courses, JLPT prep, university admission) but operates in a different Japanese city, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Berlitz Japan: Global language training provider with operations in Japan offering Japanese and other language courses. Broader portfolio but overlaps with SNG's private lessons, online classes, and corporate training segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCt3Cir6heyBSK-3nY9SwSpQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/sng.japan
• Instagraminstagram.com/sng_japan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%BF%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E5%AD%A6%E6%A0%A1

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute - SNG