AEON (eikaiwa)
Encyclopedia
is a chain of English conversation teaching companies
in Japan. It is considered one of the historical "Big Four" eikaiwa schools. Although it shares a nearly identical name in English, Aeon is not affiliated with the Aeon Group, a major Japanese retail and financial services corporation.
The company operates 320 branch schools throughout Japan, and maintains staff recruitment offices in New York City and Los Angeles.
and Tsuneo Kusunoki
founded the company AMVIC. The name was an acronym of the phrase "AMbition and VICtory." The company would focus on foreign language studies.
Later, AMVIC International was split into two divisions. Aki became the head of , which provided foreign language training for students. Kusunoki assumed control of , which specialized in English language education for non-native speakers.
In 1989, AMVIC International split into two separate companies, as the former partners developed differing visions of the company's future. Aki's company became Aeon, focusing on language learning in Japan. He remains Aeon's chairman as of 2010. Kusunoki's company became GEOS
, focusing on global language learning. GEOS and Aeon remained competitors until April 2010 when GEOS filed for bankruptcy protection.
Aeon also has a subsidiary named Aeon Amity which offers classes to children and students up to high school age. The Amity group operates 74 schools throughout Japan.
Aeon is a member of the .
As of December 2010, Aeon held total assets of 28.7 billion yen. Its total revenue for 2009 was 24.8 billion yen.
On 5 February 2010, Aeon announced that it would henceforth be depositing 50% of the lesson fees that students pay up-front into a trust account managed by the Mizuho Trust Bank
. These funds would be held on behalf of the students, to be refunded in the event the company could no longer continue operating. The initial amount paid into the trust account was 4.3 billion yen.
Language education
Language education is the teaching and learning of a foreign or second language. Language education is a branch of applied linguistics.- Need for language education :...
in Japan. It is considered one of the historical "Big Four" eikaiwa schools. Although it shares a nearly identical name in English, Aeon is not affiliated with the Aeon Group, a major Japanese retail and financial services corporation.
The company operates 320 branch schools throughout Japan, and maintains staff recruitment offices in New York City and Los Angeles.
History
In 1973, university classmates Kiyoshi AkiKiyoshi Aki
is the owner and founder of Aeon Corporation, one of the "Big Four" eikaiwa schools in Japan.- Founding of Aeon :In 1973, Aki and university classmate Tsuneo Kusunoki founded the company AMVIC...
and Tsuneo Kusunoki
Tsuneo Kusunoki
is the founder of the now-bankrupt GEOS Corporation, previously one of the major eikaiwa providers in Japan.-Founding:...
founded the company AMVIC. The name was an acronym of the phrase "AMbition and VICtory." The company would focus on foreign language studies.
Later, AMVIC International was split into two divisions. Aki became the head of , which provided foreign language training for students. Kusunoki assumed control of , which specialized in English language education for non-native speakers.
In 1989, AMVIC International split into two separate companies, as the former partners developed differing visions of the company's future. Aki's company became Aeon, focusing on language learning in Japan. He remains Aeon's chairman as of 2010. Kusunoki's company became GEOS
GEOS (eikaiwa)
was one of the Big Four private eikaiwa, or English conversation teaching companies, in Japan. Its extensive network of overseas schools made it the world's largest language school chain. The firm went into bankruptcy in Japan on 20 April 2010...
, focusing on global language learning. GEOS and Aeon remained competitors until April 2010 when GEOS filed for bankruptcy protection.
Company structure
Aeon's corporate headquarters are in Okayama. Its operations are divided into three regions.| Region | Areas covered | Number of schools | Headquarters | Regional manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Japan | Hokkaidō Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel... , Tōhoku Tohoku region The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata.... , Kantō Kanto region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain.... , Kōshin'etsu and Kansai |
149 | Shinjuku Shinjuku, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population... |
Yoshikazu Miyake |
| Central Japan | Tōkai Tokai region The is a sub-region of the Chūbu region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name means "East sea" and comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes... , Chūbu Chubu region The is the central region of Honshū, Japan's main island. Chūbu has a population estimate of 21,886,324 as of 2008.Chūbu, which means "central region", encompasses nine prefectures : Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie.It is located directly... , Hokuriku Hokuriku region The is located in the northwestern part of Honshū, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern Japan.... , Kyūshū Kyushu is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands.... and Okinawa Okinawa Prefecture is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island... |
71 | Nagoya | Kiyoshi Aki |
| West Japan | Chūgoku Chugoku region The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :... and Shikoku Shikoku is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima... |
26 | Okayama | Masashi Satō |
Aeon also has a subsidiary named Aeon Amity which offers classes to children and students up to high school age. The Amity group operates 74 schools throughout Japan.
Aeon is a member of the .
As of December 2010, Aeon held total assets of 28.7 billion yen. Its total revenue for 2009 was 24.8 billion yen.
On 5 February 2010, Aeon announced that it would henceforth be depositing 50% of the lesson fees that students pay up-front into a trust account managed by the Mizuho Trust Bank
Mizuho Trust & Banking
is the trust banking arm of Mizuho Financial Group, the second-biggest Japanese financial services company. The bank's headquarters are in Yaesu, Chūō, Tokyo.-History:...
. These funds would be held on behalf of the students, to be refunded in the event the company could no longer continue operating. The initial amount paid into the trust account was 4.3 billion yen.