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The History of Kumon

Toru Kumon believed that educators have a responsibility to foster a mindset of self-learning in children.

Company founding

After developing materials tailored specifically for his own son’s ability, Toru Kumon invited some local children to study in the same way and all of them greatly improved. His desire to develop the potential of as many children as possible prompted him to open the first Kumon maths centre in Osaka, Japan in 1955. By 1969, Kumon had expanded to Tokyo reaching a combined total of over 10,000 students.

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Kumon

International Expansion - The Early Years

In 1974, Toru Kumon published a book entitled, The Secret of Kumon Maths which illustrated the aims of the Kumon Method and its effectiveness so far. It was well received, and Kumon began to expand internationally, opening its first centre outside of Japan in New York, USA.

Throughout the 1980s, Kumon expanded its geographical reach, successfully opening its first European centre in Germany.

Meaning of the Kumon logo

The O in our Kumon logo represents the ‘Thinking Face’, which is how we refer to the expression of students who are engaged; learning, thinking and growing in Kumon study centres across the world.

The Kumon blue used in our logo represents intelligence, honesty and the sky that stretches across the world.

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The History of Kumon Ireland

The first Kumon study centre opened in Ireland in 2000 offering students both its English and maths study programmes. Kumon is now the largest supplementary education provider in Ireland with more than 2,500 Kumon students learning at over 25 study centres across Ireland.

1954
Toru Kumon, a high school maths teacher, began creating worksheets to help his son, Takeshi. He wrote numerous calculation problems on loose-leaf paper, based on the concept of self-learning. This was the origin of the Kumon Method.
1955
The first maths centre using Kumon worksheets is opened in Osaka, Japan.
1958
The Kumon Institute of Education is established.
1959
Toru Kumon starts the Advanced Student Honour Roll - celebrating students learning independently, above the level expected for their age.

1962
The Osaka Institute of Mathematics Ltd. is established.
1968
Toru Kumon retires from Osaka Municipal Higashi High School, ending his teaching career to focus on the business of the Kumon Institute.
1969
The number of Kumon students exceeds 10,000.

1974
The first Kumon centre outside of Japan opens in New York, USA. It was with the opening of this Centre in New York that the provision of Kumon Method study outside Japan first began.
1975
The number of Kumon students exceeds 100,000.
1976
Kumon celebrates the first student to complete the final worksheet in the maths programme.
1977
The first pre-school-aged child to be able to solve linear equations is nurtured via the Kumon Maths Programme.
1978
Takeshi Kumon (Toru Kumon's son and the first Kumon student) is appointed as the President of the Kumon Institute of Education.
1979
Kumon arrives in Europe, offering the maths programme in Germany.

1980
The first Kumon Recommended Reading List is prepared.
1981
The number of Kumon students exceeds 1,000,000.
1983
The first Kumon study centre in the United Kingdom opens.
1987
The first Kumon International Instructors' Conference is held at the Kumon Kyoiku Kaikan in Osaka, Japan.
1988
Kumon introduced to the classroom in an American high school, the first time the programme was adopted by a school outside of Japan. Publicity led to a greater international awareness of Kumon and inspired the establishment of more centres around the world.

1990
An affiliated company is established in London, UK.
1991
Kumon Educational UK is established.
1993
The number of Kumon students worldwide exceeds 2,000,000.
1995
Chairman Toru Kumon passes away at the age of 81 (25 July).
1997
The Kumon English Programme (for native speakers) arrives in the UK. President Takeshi Kumon passes away (7 January).

2000
The first Kumon study centre in Ireland opens.
2001
The new Kumon logo, featuring ‘The Thinking Face’, is created that expresses the company’s values. The number of Kumon students exceeds 3,000,000 worldwide.
2006
The number of Kumon students exceeds 4,000,000 worldwide.
2008
The Kumon Group celebrates its 50th anniversary.

2011
Kumon UK celebrates its 20th anniversary at the annual Instructor conference in Brighton.
2014
Kumon Instructors across the globe met in Japan to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Toru Kumon.
2017
Kumon reaches 50 countries and regions around the world.
2018
The Kumon Group celebrates its 60th anniversary.

2020
Kumon UK and Ireland celebrate its 30th anniversary and introduce Kumon online to support students isolated at home during the COVID global pandemic.
2022
Kumon reaches 60 countries and regions around the world as it launches a centre in Pakistan.
2023
KUMON CONNECT officially launches, Kumon’s digital worksheets were made available to families throughout centres in the UK, Ireland and across Europe and Africa.

Success Stories

A collection of articles that celebrate successful children who achieve their potential through hard work, determination and pushing their boundaries to the limits.