noun
cram school; private tutoring school; juku
Refers to a private after-school academy where students study academic subjects, prepare for entrance exams, or receive supplementary lessons. The word is widely understood and culturally specific to Japan and similar East Asian education systems.
彼は毎日、学校の後に塾に通っている。
He goes to cram school every day after school.
受験のために塾で数学を勉強しています
I'm studying math at a juku for the entrance exams.
予備校 is a preparatory school specifically for students who have already graduated high school and are preparing for university entrance exams, often full-time. 塾 is broader and includes part-time after-school tutoring for students still in school.
学習塾 is a more formal term for a tutoring school or learning center, often used in official contexts. 塾 is the common abbreviation.
From Middle Chinese 塾 (dzyuwk, “school, private teaching place”). The character originally referred to a side room or a place for study within a residence. In modern Japanese, it has become the standard word for a private after-school tutoring academy.