Why Find Japanese Language Tutors in Tokyo?
Cause why not? You might have spent a fortune for a Japanese language school but are not improving at all in the language. This might be because you need your own comfortable learning space to study according to your speed, with a teacher that matches the learning ability that you have not found in any regular language school. You can not merely ask a question repeatedly in a typical classroom as it will distract the class’s dynamic. However, with a tutor, you definitely can specify your learning needs from where the tutors will guide their teaching plan.
Based on our experience, we believe that this method can boost your Japanese skills faster than just taking notes in a room of twenty or more people. Still, we understand that finding the ‘perfect’ Japanese language tutor can sometimes be tricky. Like where and who? How much will it cost? Are they trustable? Is there any proof? We chose these following 15 Japanese language tutors and divided them according to classes category for you to choose. But first things first, we believe that you need to begin reassessing yourself!
This is how things work. First, you need to understand which one works best for you; online or offline class. Next, you need to consider which type of class is more effective for you; learning in groups or privately. By the time you are done, you can select your match tutor from our list down below.
Top 8 Japanese Language Tutors Offering Private Class Only
Recommended for: business executives who want to learn Japanese and understand the Japanese business environment
The first one on our list, Yuki Sensei, is a teacher that has been highly recommended by several of our acquaintances. She is well-known as the experts of teaching company executives to understand the Japanese business environment better. Now, if you are up for dynamic and fun lessons, then she is the one for you! When you are studying with Yuki Sensei, you do not have to be shy about making any mistakes. Instead, she always encourages her students to make one and accept their mistakes to be comfortable with their skills. Her top priority is making sure that vocabularies have been learned in class; students can use them in real life.
- Online Private: Starts from ¥9,000 / 60 minutes
Recommended for: anyone who is interested in Japanese’s regional dialect
If you are a fan of Japanese’s regional dialect, then you should definitely choose Taka Sensei! Along with standard Japanese, he masters Kansai, Hiroshima, and also Oita dialect. From everyday language (tameguchi) to respectful language (keigo), he can teach you everything! With almost a hundred active students that he currently teaches now, you sure do not want to miss out on his class.
P.s. later, do not be surprised if he keeps pushing you out of your comfort zone towards the learning zone. In every lesson, he will try his best to keep the conversation flow between you.
- Online Private: Starts from ¥730
Recommended for: anyone who wants to improve their Japanese speaking skills, specifically
Next on the list, we also have Yoyo Sensei. She has been actively working as a Japanese narrator, MC, and interpreter in Japan. Nevertheless, since last year, she began to share her public speaking skills with more than forty people that keeps growing for more. For her class, she will provide materials in the form of PowerPoint, videos, and other media to ease your learning process. Besides speaking, you can also consult any other Japanese language skills you are not confident in.
- Online Private: ¥2,300 / 60 minutes
Recommended for: anyone who is interested in learning fundamental Japanese
Following Yoyo Sensei, we also have Keiko Sensei. She is the only Japanese tutor on this list that has completed the 420-hour Advanced Japanese Training Course in English. In her class, she mainly focuses on fundamental grammar and speaking skills for students from beginner to advanced level Japanese. For those of you who only have time to join a class in the morning or afternoon only, then she is the one for you!
- Online Private: Starts from ¥2,000 / 60 minutes
Recommended for: anyone who is interested in improving their Japanese speaking skills, specifically
Then, we also have Aki Sensei. She is a passionate individual who loves to communicate with people about anything, including culture, hobbies, or even random things in Japanese. She has been doing the conversation program since last year through Zoom. Instead of labelling herself as a tutor, she wants to be remembered as a conversation partner who helped others. In general, her conversation class is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 AM JST to 9 AM JST. Unfortunately, due to the high demand, her class is fully booked most of the time, so if you do not want to miss this chance, be sure to register from her website.
- Online Private: Starts from ¥500 (30 minutes)
While listing these Japanese language tutors, we also consider that sometimes it can be hard for you to study in a more relaxed environment if all of the tutors are Japanese natives, right? Hence why we have also prepared several foreign nationals Japanese language tutors for you to choose from! Please note that most tutors will be conducting online lessons now following the current pandemic situation.
Recommended for: Japanese beginners
For the first foreign nationals on this list, we have Mono Sensei. She has been teaching Japanese for almost five years for Japanese beginners until N4 level. She is gifted in more than five languages, including Hindi, Bengali, and Bahasa Indonesia; so, it might ease your study if you come from one of these countries. Generally, she conducts her class by dividing it into ten introductory sessions first. However, depending on your learning speed and interests, the schedule is customizable.
- Online Private: ¥600 / 60 minutes
Recommended for: Japanese beginners to intermediate level
Next, we also have a tutor better known as Sharma Sensei. Before he decided to create his own private class, he taught some Japanese for a year on Youtube and Instagram. For the main lessons, he mainly utilizes Google Meets and Zoom as the platform. On average, he runs his class twice a week with two hours for each one, and uniquely, he usually teaches according to grammar patterns instead of any specific order. As he focuses more on the content of studies, there will be a monthly test to check your skills.
- Online Private: ¥23,000〜¥31,100 (N5〜N3)
Recommended for: anyone who is interested in learning fundamental Japanese
The last in this category, we have Alyssa Sensei. She has been teaching Japanese for a year now. If you are having difficulties, particularly in grammar, then she is the right Japanese tutor for you! In her class, she usually conducts mock tests, quizzes, short exams, and assignments to strengthen your grammar studies. For those of you who are slow-phased learners, don’t worry! She will adjust the course schedule according to your needs. Sometimes, she also conducts free live teaching for those who want to learn additional Japanese! Generally, in her class, Monday is set for Kanji, Tuesday is for vocabs, Wednesday is for Kaiwa, Thursday is for vocab again, and Fridays is for grammar.
- Online Private: ¥1,000 / 60 minutes
Top 7 Japanese Language Tutors Offering Both Private and Group Class in Tokyo
Recommended for: anyone who is interested in learning fundamental Japanese
The first Japanese tutor in this category, Shimada Sensei. She is one of the primary teachers in Japan Switch, a prestigious Japanese language school located in Shinjuku. Her motivation to become a teacher was all thanks to her childhood English teacher. Back then, she understood that behind a great student lies a great teacher, too. This experience embarked on becoming a teacher who understood what students needed to improve on and offer help immediately. Her goal is to maintain a close relationship with students and create a class environment where students feel relaxed and enjoy the lessons, especially speaking skills.
- Online Group: ¥1,500 (4 people max)
- Online Private: ¥3,000 / 50 minutes
- Offline: ¥3,000 (50-minute private lessons or 100-minute group lessons)
2. Mina Taguchi Sensei
Recommended for: anyone who wants to focus on daily Japanese and Japanese culture
Next on our list is also one of the leading teachers in Japan Switch. He mainly focuses on teaching grammar, phrases, and vocabulary needed to survive in Japan in his courses. His goal is to help the students until they feel comfortable with their Japanese knowledge. Hence why he would cater his lesson plan according to each students’ needs and requests as much as he could. Fun and fruitful lessons are his class mottos. We highly recommend Taguchi Sensei for those who are not only interested in the language itself but also Japanese culture!
- Online Group: ¥1,500 (4 people max)
- Online Private: ¥3,000 / 50 minutes
- Offline: ¥3,000 (50-minute private lessons or 100-minute group lessons)
Recommended for: anyone who wants to know deeper into Japanese business industries
What else can you say for a Japanese tutor that has a total of ten years of teaching experience with 800 students accumulated besides YES? According to his students, Taka Sensei’s encouragement for them meant a lot and had helped them overcome the hurdles of learning Japanese and even succeeded in their study goals. Besides the fundamental academic Japanese language, Taka Sensei is also sharing his know-how to write emails in Japanese and understand Japanese news in an ‘easier’ way.
- Online and Offline Private: ¥ 3,500 / 60 minutes
- Online and Offline Group: Starts from ¥2,000
Recommended for: anyone who is interested in learning fundamental Japanese
Next on our list, we have the one and only Yukari Shiraishi Sensei. Yukari Sensei has been teaching Japanese for fourteen years and recently officially registered with Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) as a Japanese instructor. She has been teaching not only in Japan but also in other countries, including Taiwan. From our research, we also know that she had worked for several language schools in Japan before eventually decided to establish her learning center. Yukari Sensei mentioned that she is confident in teaching students at any Japanese level, so if you are interested in joining her class, just consult first.
- Offline Private: ¥4,000 / 60 minutes
- Online Private: ¥3,000 / 60 minutes
- Offline Group: Starts from ¥2,000 / 60 minutes
- Online Group: Starts from ¥1,500 / 60 minutes
Recommended for: Japanese intermediate to advanced level
Akiko Suzuki Sensei, also known as Ako Sensei, has been teaching Japanese for almost twenty years and has completed a 420-hour Japanese education training course at ARK academy. Unlike many other Japanese language tutors that focus on Japanese beginners, she specialized in N3 and N2 levels for her offline group class. As her class’s schedule dates are fixed already, you will have to wait for the next opening if you do not get a spot in the earliest class. Most of her students mentioned her as a teacher who can recognize weakness fast and put extra care on that part. ‘She is professional but fun, organized but flexible, and super knowledgeable yet incredibly personable.’
- Online Private: ¥ 6,600 / 60 minutes
- Offline Private: ¥7,700 / 60 minutes
- Online Group: ¥10,500 / 60 minutes (4 people max)
- Offline Group: ¥39,600 (12 lessons)
Recommended for: business executives who want to learn Japanese and understand the Japanese business environment
Next on our list, we also have Akane Sensei, a teacher based in Central Tokyo that has been teaching online classes to people worldwide. She has been teaching Japanese for more than nine years and has been teaching several well-known companies like Amazon Japan, JP Morgan, and much more! She is available for any Japanese level and even provides classes for essential Japanese for travel and any preparation for interviews held in Japanese. She designs the lesson plans, handouts, and even vocabulary and grammar lists on her own according to her knowledge and experiences. Her focus is to maintain a long-term relationship with her students, which we got to know that some students have been learning from her for ten years.
- Trial lesson: ¥1,000
Recommended for: anyone who is interested in learning fundamental Japanese
Finally, Azuma Sensei. He is one of many Japanese language tutors with high reputability for more than seven years. Your words are his command; he basically can teach any level of the language without any problems. His motto is to give students advice during lesson sessions and any time on any other day. Henceforth, he will be tasking some homework for you to practice on your own. However, he does not offer online lessons, and he is limited to students around Tokyo only.
- Offline Private: ¥36,000 (8 x 60 minutes)
- Offline Group: ¥45,000 (10 x 120 minutes)
Choosing the Right Japanese Language Tutors
Good luck with finding your match! We understand that finding the right tutor is not a piece of cake and can sometimes be overwhelming. But, rest assured, we know that you might find someone among tutors on our list. We advise you to try it first for a couple of sessions to decide whether these tutors really not match you before giving up right away. If it is still not working out, perhaps you could ask for a recommendation from any acquaintances and friends for Japanese tutors who might fit you. Also, we encourage you to focus on writing or reading materials and focus on speaking, as it is crucial in learning a language.
諦めないで、頑張って！
(あきらめないで、がんばって！)
(Don’t give up, good luck!)
We have already introduced you to some of the best tutors; if you decide to focus more on learning in a more learning-friendly environment, we recommend seeing our other post regarding language school.
