Johnan Academic Preparatory Institute, Inc.

Johnan Academic Preparatory Institute, Inc. (株式会社城南進学研究社) is a Japanese education company headquartered in Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. It traces its origins to Kawasaki English School, a vocational school established in 1948 (today's Fukabori Gakuen foreign-language and business college). In 1961 the company set up the vocational school Johnan Yobiko as part of a diversification strategy, and in 1982 it was reorganized into a stock company, Johnan Academic Preparatory Institute, Inc., to support the management of that business. It listed its shares over the counter in April 1999 (later JASDAQ) and subsequently expanded into nursery-school operation and franchise membership of the Kawaijuku Manavis brand, running classrooms under the Kawaijuku Manavis name. On April 9, 2026 it also listed on the Sapporo Securities Exchange Main Market; it is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market as well. The company operates a broad portfolio of education businesses. Its cram-school and tutoring brands include Johnan Yobiko DUO, Johnan Cobyz (城南コベッツ), Johnan AO Suisen Juku and Johnan Ishijuku. In early-childhood education it runs Kubota no Uken, Johnan Lumina Hoikuen, Fairy Hoikuen, Kids Brain Park, Kodomo no Okeiko and Zoo-phonics Academy, and it also operates after-school programs such as Hokago Homestay and E-CAMP. It provides online learning materials under the Dekitasu brand and runs the Minna no Manabi Library. In its solutions business it serves educators and institutions with recommendation-related services (Suisen Lab), Dekitasu for schools, cram schools and corporations, and the Kubota-style child-rearing method for corporations. It also acts as a franchisor for Johnan Cobyz and Zoo-phonics Academy, and as a franchisee of Kawaijuku Manavis. Johnan Cobyz is the company's individually focused tutoring course, originally called Covez. It uses a fully individualized style with up to two students per instructor, teaching elementary through high-school graduates, and has both classrooms attached to prep schools and dedicated tutoring centers. It is run through directly operated schools as well as franchises. The company has formed alliances with other education providers, including Z-kai (using Z-kai Tokyo University Master Course materials), Kawaijuku Manavis (video lessons under franchise), and Benesse (the Shinken Zemi Schooling Course). The Johnan Yobiko brand itself was the company's original prep-school business, established in 1961 and expanded into multiple campuses across Kanagawa, Tokyo, Saitama and Chiba prefectures. Facing a declining birthrate, the company reviewed its low-profit group-instruction business and closed all campuses at the end of fiscal 2019, withdrawing entirely from group instruction under the Johnan Yobiko brand. From fiscal 2020 it shifted to Johnan Yobiko DUO, centered on individualized instruction using the AI material atama+ and small-group practice led by "professional instructors." The Johnan Yobiko name survives in Johnan Yobiko DUO, though the business content is entirely different. The company's basic philosophy was "student first," and its former prep school was known for a "Triple 3 System" combining professional instructors, subject advisors and "advancement producers" (formerly tutors) who advised each student on study plans and career paths.

The origins of Johnan Academic Preparatory Institute lie in Kawasaki English School, a vocational school established in 1948, which is today the incorporated educational institution Fukabori Gakuen's foreign-language and business college. In 1961, as part of a strategy to diversify its operations, the company established the vocational school Johnan Yobiko. In 1982, with the aim of supporting the management of that school, the organization was reorganized into a stock company under the name Johnan Academic Preparatory Institute, Inc. (株式会社城南進学研究社). Using Johnan Yobiko as its base, the company began multi-campus expansion, eventually establishing campuses in Kanagawa, Tokyo, Saitama and Chiba prefectures. Its prep school was known for a "Triple 3 System" in which professional instructors, subject advisors and "advancement producers" (originally tutors serving as class homeroom teachers for study planning and career guidance) advised each student individually, under the basic philosophy of "student first." Campuses were concentrated in its home base of Kanagawa (Kawasaki, Yokohama, Fujisawa, Atsugi and Kanazawa Bunko), and it also expanded into Tokyo (Machida, Tachikawa, Jiyugaoka, Ikebukuro and Shinjuku), Chiba (Kashiwa) and Saitama (Omiya and Minami-Urawa). In its final year of operation, fiscal 2019, it had shrunk to six campuses: Yokohama, Machida, Shonan Fujisawa (a relocated and downsized Fujisawa campus), Jiyugaoka, Tachikawa and Minami-Urawa. In the past it used young models and idols in commercials and posters, including Sho Sakurai, Miho Tanaka, Mikako Tabe, Haruka Kudo and Kento Ono. In April 1999 the company listed its shares over the counter (later JASDAQ). It subsequently expanded into nursery-school operation and joined the franchise network of Kawaijuku Manavis, operating classrooms under the Kawaijuku Manavis brand. It also formed alliances with other education providers: it partnered with Z-kai to offer courses using Z-kai Tokyo University Master Course materials, and with Benesse to run the Shinken Zemi Schooling Course. Facing a declining birthrate, the company decided to comprehensively review its low-profit group-instruction business. It closed all campuses at the end of fiscal 2019 and withdrew entirely from the group-instruction business under the Johnan Yobiko brand. From fiscal 2020 it fully converted to Johnan Yobiko DUO, centered on individualized instruction using the AI material atama+ and small-group practice instruction (DUO instruction) by "professional instructors." As a result, no group instruction under the Johnan Yobiko brand remains. Part-time instructors who had taught at Johnan Yobiko had all their outsourcing contracts terminated, so few instructors other than employees were involved in the successor business; in this context "professional instructor" simply means a company-employed instructor rather than a student part-time instructor. On April 9, 2026, the company listed on the Sapporo Securities Exchange Main Market, in addition to its listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market. Today it operates a wide range of education businesses, including Johnan Yobiko DUO, Johnan Cobyz, Kubota no Uken, Johnan Lumina Hoikuen, Johnan AO Suisen Juku and Johnan Ishijuku, as well as Kawaijuku Manavis operations, franchise recruitment and management guidance for prep schools and advancement classrooms, planning, production and sale of materials for university, high school and junior high school entrance exams, contracted university entrance exam-related work, planning, production and sale of e-learning materials, operation of classes for infants and toddlers, operation of certified nursery schools for early-childhood education, and planning, production and sale of early-childhood education materials and books.

• 2026

  Lists on the Sapporo Securities Exchange Main Market on April 9.

• 2020

  The company fully converts to Johnan Yobiko DUO, centered on AI material atama+ and small-group DUO instruction.

• 2019

  All Johnan Yobiko campuses are closed at the end of fiscal 2019, withdrawing entirely from group instruction under the brand.

• 1999

  Shares are listed over the counter (later JASDAQ) in April.

• 1982

  The organization is reorganized into a stock company, Johnan Academic Preparatory Institute, Inc., to support management of the school.

• 1961

  Johnan Yobiko is established as a vocational school as part of a diversification strategy.

• 1948

  Kawasaki English School, a vocational school and the origin of the company, is established (today's Fukabori Gakuen foreign-language and business college).

A comprehensive education group spanning early-childhood education, nursery schools, cram schools, individual tutoring, e-learning and B2B education solutions, with a "student first" philosophy and a shift from group instruction toward individualized, AI-supported learning.

• Johnan Yobiko DUO

  Successor to the Johnan Yobiko brand, centered on individualized instruction using the AI material atama+ and small-group practice instruction (DUO instruction) by professional instructors.

• Johnan Cobyz

  Individually focused tutoring course originally called Covez, with up to two students per instructor, for elementary through high-school graduates; run through directly operated and franchise schools.

• Kubota no Uken

  Early-childhood education class brand operated by the company.

• Johnan Lumina Hoikuen

  Nursery school operated by the company.

• Dekitasu

  Online learning material brand, also offered to schools, cram schools and corporations.

• Kawaijuku Manavis

  Video-lesson brand operated by the company as a franchisee.

• Zoo-phonics Academy

  English-language education brand operated and franchised by the company.

1. 1城南進学研究社 公式サイトjohnan.co.jp
2. 2城南進学研究社 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3Johnan AcademicPreparatory Institute - Wikidatawikidata.org