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Kumon's
History

Timeless and beyond boundaries.
Kumon does its all for each and every learner.

Kumon's aspiration, which began with a parent and a child,
is to maximize the potential of each individual through learning.
The Kumon Method is now spreading all around the world.

History in Japan

Spread to the world

1950

1954
Toru Kumon, a high school math teacher, began providing education based on the concept of self-learning to his son, Takeshi, then a second grader in elementary school. He wrote numerous calculation problems on loose-leaf paper for his son. This was the origin of the Kumon Method.
1955
The first Math Center using Kumon worksheets is opened in Moriguchi City, Osaka.
1958
The office of the Osaka Institute of Mathematics is established in Osaka City.

1960

1962
The Osaka Institute of Mathematics Ltd. is established.
The first Kumon Center is opened in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.
1963
Kumon's Tokyo Office is opened.
1969
The total number of subject enrollments in Japan exceeds 10,000.
1972
The company name, Osaka Institute of Mathematics, is changed to Osaka Kumon Institute of Mathematics.
The Tokyo Kumon Institute of Mathematics Ltd. is established.

1970

1974
The Secret of Kumon Math
(published by Koseido Publishing) becomes a best seller. The Kumon Method became widely known through the publication of this first book written by the founder, Toru Kumon. The book officially introduced the aims and theory of the Kumon Method for the first time, and included numerous concrete cases of instruction and learning effectiveness. The book generated a tremendous response and the company was flooded with inquiries.
1977
Workbooks for preschoolers begin to be published.
The total number of subject enrollments in Japan exceeds 200,000.
1979
The first Kumon Instructors' Conference is held in Japan.
The total number of subject enrollments in Japan exceeds 500,000.
1974
The first overseas Kumon Math Center opens in New York. The beginning of the Kumon Method outside Japan was the Kumon Math Center that opened in New York in 1974. Initially, most students at this Center were the children of Japanese expatriates. However, as the effectiveness of the Kumon Method became more widely known, local children began to enroll. Today, Kumon has become a source of education for local children provided by local Instructors in each country.
1975
Center opens in Taiwan.
1977
Center opens in Brazil.
1979
Center opens in Germany.

1980

1980
The Kumon English Program (for native Japanese speakers) is launched.
1981
The Kumon Japanese Program (for native Japanese speakers) is launched.
The first Instructors' Conference on Learners with Special Needs is held.
Both the Osaka Kumon Institute of Mathematics Ltd. and the Tokyo Kumon Institute of Mathematics Ltd. are reorganized from limited liability companies into joint-stock corporations.
The total number of subject enrollments in Japan exceeds 1 million.
1982
The Osaka Kumon Institute of Mathematics Co., Ltd. and the Tokyo Kumon Institute of Mathematics Co., Ltd. merge to become the Kumon Institute of Mathematics Co., Ltd.
1983
The company name, Kumon Institute of Mathematics, is changed to Kumon Institute of Education.
1984
The Kumon Japanese Learning Program (for foreign learners) is launched.
1985
The Kumon Penmanship Program is launched.
1986
The Kumon French and German programs (for native speakers of Japanese) are launched.
1987
The Kumon Speed Reading System (S.R.S.) is launched.
1988
Kumon Publishing Co., Ltd. is established.
1989
The total number of subject enrollments in Japan exceeds 1.5 million.
1980
An affiliated company is established in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
 
An affiliated company is established in Dusseldorf, Germany.
1982
An affiliated company is established in Los Angeles, USA.
1983
The total number of overseas subject enrollments exceeds 10,000.
1984
An affiliated company is established in Sydney, Australia.
1988
An affiliated company is established in Hong Kong.
A public elementary school in the United States implements Kumon Math. It was the strong interest of the vice principal of Sumiton Elementary School in Alabama, the United States, that first drew attention from overseas to the Kumon Method. The vice principal had seen a TV program introducing the Kumon Method, and he became convinced that he could help his students conquer their math phobia by using the Kumon Method. This was the first time that the Kumon Method was utilized in regular school classes outside of Japan. The results were even greater than expected: the average math score at Sumiton Elementary School improved by 20 points. This achievement was hailed as the “Miracle of Sumiton” in a variety of media. This occasion served as a catalyst that began the Kumon Method's spread throughout the world.

1990

1995
Company founder Toru Kumon passes away.
1996
Kumon L.I.L. Co., Ltd. is established.
1997
Kumon president Takeshi Kumon passes away.
1990
The Kumon English Program (for native English speakers) is launched in Australia.
 
An affiliated company is established in London, U.K.
1992
The total number of overseas subject enrollments exceeds 200,000.
1993
The Kumon Chinese Program (for native Chinese speakers) is launched in Taiwan.
1994
The Kumon Portuguese Program (for native Portuguese speakers) is launched in Brazil.
The total number of enrollments in the world exceeds 2 million.
1995
An affiliated company is established in Singapore.
 
The total number of overseas subject enrollments exceeds 500,000.
1997
An affiliated company is established in Johannesburg, South Africa.
1998
The total number of overseas subject enrollments exceeds 1 million.

2000

2000
Kumon is reorganized into a group management structure.
The Kumon Toru Research Institute of Education Co., Ltd. is established.
2001
Applied research into Learning Therapy is begun.
The first Kumon World Leaders' Seminar is held.
The first English Immersion Camp is held.
The new Kumon logo is created.
2003
All Kumon signboards are replaced with the new Kumon logo signboards.
2007
Activities for child-raising support begin.
2008
Kumon celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding.
2010
Kumon begins offering its educational services to universities.
2011
Global Communication & Testing Co., Ltd. (GC & T) is established.
2001
The total number of enrollments in the world exceeds 3 million.
2003
The total number of overseas subject enrollments exceeds 2 million.
2004
The Kumon EFL Program (English as a Foreign Language) is launched in Brazil.
The Kumon Spanish Program (for native Spanish speakers) is launched in five countries in South America.
An affiliated company is established in New Delhi, India. Up to this point, Kumon's overseas development had proceeded by receiving offers from local parties. In this case, however, Kumon established an affiliated company in India in order to provide learning opportunities to as many children as possible. In India we continue to seek out the optimum manner of providing the Kumon Method.
2005
The Kumon CFL Program (Chinese as a Foreign Language) is launched in Korea.
An affiliated company is established in Guangzhou, China.
2006
An affiliated company is established in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The total number of enrollments in the world exceeds 4 million.
2007
An affiliated company is established in Doha, Qatar.
2008
The Kumon Thai Program (for native Thai speakers) is launched in Thailand.
2009
The Kumon Spanish Program (for native Spanish speakers) is launched in Spain.

Spread of Activities

The culture of children during the Edo period (1603–1868) in Japan has a message for all of us today.

Kumon's collection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the Edo period featuring children

Here you will find a selection from our collection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints that show how children lived and played in the Edo period, as well as materials concerning terakoya (temple schools), which have been cited as a forerunner of the Kumon Method.
For more details on ukiyo-e woodblock prints, please contact us.

Photo: Kumon Ukiyo-e Collection
A hundred views of mothers and children / A hundred views of the children of Edo
(published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Publishers)

The Birth of Kumon: The Story of Toru Kumon

The Birth of Kumon: The Story of Toru Kumon

One father's love for his son gave birth to the Kumon Method of learning.
Even after half a century, his philosophy is passed down unbroken and continues
to help many children develop the ability to reach for their goals and dreams.

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