Kumon was founded in Japan by Toru Kumon in 1958.
Toru Kumon developed the method after creating mathematics worksheets for his son, who was struggling with arithmetic. The approach emphasized daily practice, self-learning, and progression through material at a student’s own pace.
The first Kumon center opened in Moriguchi, Osaka, in 1958. The business later expanded internationally through a network of learning centers, many of them operated by franchisees. Students typically work through graded worksheets rather than following only a traditional classroom timetable.
Kumon is sometimes confused with tutoring companies that began in the United States, including Sylvan Learning and Mathnasium. Kumon’s defining historical detail is its Japanese origin and its start as a parent’s home-developed mathematics program.