Aeon (eikaiwa)
Aeon is a chain of English conversation teaching companies in Japan. It is considered one of the historical "Big Four" eikaiwa schools.
The company operates 320 branch schools throughout Japan, and maintains staff recruitment offices in New York City and Los Angeles.
In November 2013 it was reported that Aeon had approximately 100,000 students studying English.
History
In 1973, university classmates Kiyoshi Aki and Tsuneo Kusunoki founded the company AMVIC. The name was a portmanteau 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 AMVIC Gaigogakuin, which provided foreign language training for students. Kusunoki assumed control of AMVIC Eikaiwa, 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.
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, Tōhoku, Kantō, Kōshin'etsu and Kansai | 149 | Shinjuku | Yoshikazu Miyake |
| Central Japan | Tōkai, Chūbu, Hokuriku, Kyūshū and Okinawa | 71 | Nagoya | Kiyoshi Aki |
| West Japan | Chūgoku and Shikoku | 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 85 schools throughout Japan.
Aeon is a member of the Japan Association for the Promotion of Foreign Language Education.
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.