What is Japanese “thinking math”? Soroban, Kumon, Gakken and how Japan teaches children math
In Vietnam, “Japanese thinking math” (toan tu duy, as it is called here) is used for many things: soroban classes, Kumon centers, Gakken books, sometimes even Finger Math (which is not Japanese at all). In Japan, nobody calls it “thinking math” – Japanese children learn math in a few very specific ways, each with its own history and purpose. We are Japanese and teach soroban in Hanoi, so let us explain from the inside: how the Japanese teach children math, how the three names above differ, and what the real “Japanese quality” is that Vietnamese parents should look for.
In Vietnam, “Japanese thinking math” usually means one of three ways the Japanese teach children math outside school: soroban (the abacus → mental math using a mental image, in a class with a teacher), Kumon (self-study worksheets in small steps, every day), and Gakken (learning materials and workbooks that follow the school curriculum, used at home and in class). What all three share, and what is very Japanese: small steps, daily repetition, comparing yourself with yourself, and treating study habits as being just as important as knowledge. They differ in the tool (abacus – worksheets – books), in whether a teacher leads or the child studies alone, and in the goal (mental math – getting ahead of the curriculum – mastering schoolwork).
How do the Japanese teach children math?
Before we talk about the three names, it helps to understand the foundation: in Japanese primary schools, math (算数, sansū) is taught according to a very rigorous national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education (MEXT). Some features will feel familiar to Vietnamese parents, and some will feel new:
- Going slowly at the foundation, with care over every detail. Japanese grade 1 children spend several weeks on “splitting and combining numbers up to 10” (7 is made of 5 and 2, 3 and 4…) before they start addition. This is exactly the “5-friends and 10-friends” that soroban uses.
- Mental math (暗算, anzan) is a skill that is taught separately, not something children are expected to pick up on their own. And soroban appears in the grade 3–4 math curriculum as a tool for understanding place value.
- Daily practice is part of the culture. A little homework every day; the multiplication tables (九九, kuku) are chanted to a rhythm until they are learned by heart in grade 2.
- Study habits are part of the lesson. Greeting at the start of the lesson, sitting up straight, getting materials ready, tidying up – these are not separate from learning math.
The three methods below all grew out of this foundation, and each supports school learning in a different direction.
Soroban: learning math with an abacus, with mental math as the goal
The soroban is the Japanese abacus (one 5-bead and four 1-beads on each rod). It has been taught in Japan since the 17th century and was standardized in its modern form in 1938. Children learn to set numbers, to add and subtract using two exchange rules (the 5-friend rule – crossing 5, and the 10-friend rule – crossing 10), and then to multiply and divide; alongside this, they learn mental math by picturing the abacus in their head. A Japanese-style soroban class is led by a teacher, following a set rhythm: greeting, timed grid calculations, abacus work, mental math, Flash Anzan, tidying up. Grading exams (kyu) have existed since 1928.
Suits: children aged 5–12 who learn with their hands and need the rhythm of a class and someone to lead them; families who want their child to do mental math with multi-digit numbers, understand place value and build good study habits. Not aimed at: getting ahead of the curriculum, geometry, word problems. Read more: What is soroban?, The history of soroban.
Kumon: self-study with worksheets, one small step each day
Kumon began in 1958 with worksheets that a teacher wrote for his son. Each student is placed at a starting point that suits their level, then works through worksheets on their own every day – twice a week at the center and the other days at home – with each worksheet slightly harder than the one before. The instructor observes and adjusts, while the student reads the examples and works things out for themselves. Kumon math runs from counting all the way to calculus, with an emphasis on the speed and accuracy of written calculation.
Suits: children who like quiet, independent work and don’t mind repetition; families who can keep up the daily worksheet habit for many years; the goal of getting ahead of the curriculum. No abacus, and no mental math using a mental image. For a detailed comparison with soroban, see Soroban or Kumon?.
Gakken: curriculum-based materials, used at home and in class
Gakken is a major Japanese educational publisher (founded in 1946), well known for its workbooks, learning kits and the Gakken Kyōshitsu after-school classes for kindergarten and primary school children. Unlike soroban and Kumon – two “methods”, each with its own distinctive tool – Gakken is closer to a way of learning that follows the curriculum: workbooks for each grade and each unit, presented visually with a clear learning path, so that children master their schoolwork and get slightly ahead. In Vietnam, Gakken is known through its books and some classes that use Gakken materials.
Suits: families who want their child to consolidate exactly what they learn at school using Japanese materials, studying at home with parents or in a small class. Not aimed at: in-depth mental math like soroban, or getting years ahead like Kumon.
Comparing the three kinds of “Japanese math”
| Soroban | Kumon | Gakken | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool | Abacus → an abacus in the head | Self-study worksheets | Books and curriculum-based materials |
| Who leads | A teacher, small class, set rhythm | Self-study; the instructor observes | Parents or a teacher, following the materials |
| Goal | Mental math, place value, concentration, study habits | Fast, accurate written calculation, independent study, getting ahead of the curriculum | Mastering schoolwork, visual learning |
| Age | 5–12 | 3 and up | Kindergarten – primary school |
| Each day | 10 minutes + 1–3 lessons/week | 20–30 minutes of worksheets | Up to each family |
| Taught in Japanese schools? | Yes, grade 3–4 math | No (extra study) | Materials used by many schools |
What is truly “Japanese” about them? 4 things all three share
When a center in Vietnam says it uses “the Japanese method”, parents can check these four things – they are present in soroban, Kumon and Gakken alike, and missing from many classes that only borrow the name:
- Very small steps, never skipping the foundation.
Splitting and combining numbers to 10 before addition; setting and reading numbers before moving beads; learning the multiplication tables before multiplication. A “Japanese” class that skips ahead so children can do hard sums early is not Japanese.
- Repeat every day, keep each session short.
10–30 minutes every day is better than 2 hours at the weekend. All three methods give a very small but daily amount of home practice.
- Compare yourself with yourself.
Record cards, times written down, levels that go up according to each child’s actual results – no ranking in front of the class.
- Study habits are a lesson in themselves.
Greeting, posture, getting ready, tidying up. In soroban this is clearest because it happens in class; in Kumon and Gakken, it is part of the daily habit of doing the work.
Choosing for your child in Vietnam: suggestions by situation
- Your child is 5–8, energetic, learns with their hands and needs to build concentration → soroban. This is the “golden age” for picturing numbers. See the best age to learn soroban.
- Your child likes sitting quietly with books, you can keep up a daily habit, and you want to get ahead of the curriculum → Kumon.
- You want to teach your child at home yourself, following exactly what is taught at school, with Japanese materials → Gakken books (and our free worksheets for the mental math part).
- You want both mental math and getting ahead of the curriculum → soroban first (ages 5–8), Kumon later (from 8–9). Doing both at once in grade 1 is usually too much.
Whichever you choose, go to a trial lesson and watch your child after the trial. And ask the class one very Japanese question: “What will my child do at home every day, and for how many minutes?” – the answer tells you whether that class really teaches the Japanese way.
About us
Kodomo Soroban Center was founded in Hanoi in 2022 by Morita Group – a family that has taught soroban in Aichi Prefecture, Japan since 1976, with about 90 Kodomo School locations – and uses exactly the same method and curriculum that are taught in Japan. In 2026, our project “Japanese-style soroban education and instructor training in Vietnam” was selected by Japan’s Ministry of Education (MEXT) as an EDU-Port Nippon Supported Project. We did not write this article to say that soroban is better than Kumon or Gakken – each has its place – but to help parents choose the right method for the right child.
Frequently asked questions
What is Japanese “thinking math”?
It is the name used in Vietnam for the methods the Japanese use to teach children math outside school, mainly soroban (the abacus and mental math), Kumon (self-study worksheets) and Gakken (curriculum-based learning materials). In Japan there is no such name as “thinking math”; each method has its own name and purpose.
Is soroban math really Japanese?
Yes. The soroban is the Japanese abacus, developed from the Chinese abacus and standardized in 1938 in its form with 1 upper bead and 4 lower beads. Soroban is part of the grade 3–4 math curriculum in Japan and is a popular after-school activity for Japanese children. Note: not every class that uses an abacus teaches the Japanese method.
Is Finger Math Japanese math?
No. Finger Math (calculating with the fingers) spread from Korea; it uses the 10 fingers to calculate up to 99 and suits children aged 3–6. See our article comparing soroban and Finger Math.
Should I choose soroban, Kumon or Gakken for my child?
A 5- to 8-year-old who learns with their hands and needs concentration and mental math → soroban. A child who likes self-study with worksheets, a family that keeps a daily habit, and the goal of getting ahead of the curriculum → Kumon. Consolidating schoolwork at home with Japanese materials → Gakken. You can also combine them: soroban first, Kumon later.
Try a free soroban lesson
Classes of 3–5 children at Vinhomes Gardenia (Hanoi), 70 minutes each, taught exactly as in Japan. Phone · Zalo 096.802.8484.
Written by the teaching team of Kodomo Soroban Center, following the method and textbooks of Kodomo School (Japan, teaching soroban since 1976). The center is licensed by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, and our project is a 2026 EDU-Port Nippon supported project of Japan’s Ministry of Education (MEXT).
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