Benesse

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Benesse Corporation (ベネッセコーポレーション, Benesse Kōporēshon^?, TYO: 9783) is a Japanese company which focusses on correspondence education and publishing. Founded in Okayama-City, the company is known internationally as being the parent company of the Berlitz Language Schools. It is listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange (listing code 9783).

[edit] Origin of the company name

The name is derived from the Latin words "bene" (well) and "esse" (being).

[edit] Company development

On January 28, 1955, the Fukutake Publishing Co. Ltd. (株式会社福武書店 Kabushiki-gaisha Fukutake Shoten) was founded. In 1994, the Fukutake Shoten Tokyo Building (now Benesse Corporation Tokyo Building) in Tama-City, Tokyo, was completed. In April 1995, the company was renamed Benesse Corporation.

A major breakthrough in the company history was the take-over of a majority of the Berlitz Language Schools after its going public in 1989, in 2001, Benesse Corporation acquired 100 % of it and made it a private company once again.