Kumon Group Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake

I sincerely mourn the loss of the many individuals who perished in the recent Great East Japan Earthquake. In addition, I offer my heartfelt sympathy to all those who have suffered from this recent disaster. I pray that your recovery will be as rapid as possible.

The Kumon Group has made a donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society to aid those affected by the disaster. In addition, as part of our effort to provide educational support to children suffering from the disaster, we have donated a total of 27,000 items, including Kumon workbooks for early learners and elementary school students, pencils, etc., to schools in the disaster zone via the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO.

A great many Kumon students and parents have also suffered as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake. As the situation on the ground has gradually become clearer, I have been shocked by the extent of the damage produced by the earthquake and tsunami. The mission of each Kumon Center is to serve as a place of learning where students and Instructors work closely together so as to pursue every student’s potential to the maximum. Yet, this disaster has caused the loss of, and damage to, many of our Centers.

We at Kumon believe that our first priority must be to ensure, as rapidly as possible, that all of our students are able to resume their studies under the same conditions as before the disaster. Everyone in the entire Kumon Group is now working together in this recovery effort. Just as before the disaster occurred, we want students to be able to come to their local Kumon Center with smiles on their faces. We want every one of our students to again experience the joy of learning.

In addition to Japan, Kumon has been receiving support from many, many people in the 46 countries and regions in which we presently operate. We have been humbled to receive so many disaster donations, offers of relief supplies, and messages of encouragement from all around the globe. The Kumon Group pledges to respond to all of your support by working as one for the restoration of our places of learning.

We sincerely hope that our efforts to restore Kumon places of learning will play a useful role in the recovery of communities stricken by the disaster. In the days and months ahead, we intend to do everything in our power to be of assistance.