Discover the Best Japanese Classes Near Me
With the ever-increasing global popularity of anime, manga, and other Japanese cultural exports, interest in learning the Japanese language is skyrocketing. The official language of Japan is the ninth most common native language in the world, spoken by approximately 130 million individuals worldwide. English speakers typically find Japanese a complex language to learn, with writing systems and grammar differing vastly between the two languages. Many Japanese learners are satisfied with mastering the kanji or hiraganawriting system and the basic language of daily life to heighten their connection with Japanese pop culture or to arm themselves for travel in Japan. High-level classes, however, are vital for those who hope to use it in their careers, and tend to include all three writing systems and the rules of hierarchy and politeness known as keigo or “respectful language.”
Why You Should Learn Japanese
It’s no wonder Duolingo reported Japanese as the fifth most studied language on its app in 2022, as the benefits of learning the language span every demographic. Many find it enriches their enjoyment of manga, anime, J-pop, and other popular Japanese cultural phenomena. And fans of Japanese music, film, and literature often learn the language as a way to connect with others in Japanese culture clubs hosted on university campuses and other locations across the U.S.
Japanese also opens up a plethora of job opportunities including translation work and language instruction. Japanese corporations dominate the automotive, electronic, and many other industries, and the Japanese language is an obvious skill for the resumes of people seeking employment in those areas. Whether your primary motivation behind learning Japanese is business or pleasure, the language's complexity lends itself to increased memory skills and other areas of brain development.
5 Ways to Learn Japanese
Learning Japanese is no small task, but you can ensure your success by carefully considering the right methods and resources for your journey to mastery.
- In-person classes predate digital methods of learning by millennia. Sitting in a classroom with an instructor and classmates continues to be one of the most tried and true approaches to learning Japanese from basic vocabulary to complex grammar rules.
- Live online classes, which can be found alongside in-person classes on CourseHorse, feature a teacher meeting with students over teleconference software such as Zoom. A similar experience to in-person classes, they offer the added benefits of no commute and not necessarily needing to change out of your pajama pants.
- Self-paced classes are available to begin on-demand at any time. You can purchase a Japanese course on a platform like Udemy or find free options on YouTube.
- Language learning apps such as Duolingo, Pimsleur, and Rosetta Stone offer another alternative to learning Japanese in bite-sized lessons on-the-go.
- Immersion experiencesallow you to learn the Japanese language in the context of daily life and conversation while traveling or living a short time in Japan. Watching a movie or reading manga can also supplement any Japanese learning method with a quick immersive experience.
In-Person Japanese Classes
When planning to learn Japanese, many prospective students seek local classes as their first choice for language learning. Whether offered in a traditional classroom or a more avant-garde location, in-person classes offer the benefits of interaction with a live teacher as well as the opportunity to form a real community of support and even friendship with fellow Japanese students.
Originally founded as a personal art project in 2009 by videographer, composer, and bassist Fumio Tashiro, New York City’s RESOBOX is a Resonating Box for artists to “meet and collaborate to create new and innovative arts.” With a focus on Japanese and Japanese-inspired art, the cultural center features a cafe, gallery, event space, and workshops and classes in tea ceremony, ink painting, karate, and many other arts and crafts for both kids and adults.
Hiroko Miyashita’s beginner-level Japanese class is a special treat for fans of anime. Through roleplay and watching shows such as Bleach,One Piece, and Spirited Away, students learn basic conversational Japanese skills that will allow them to enjoy anime in its original language and be able to hold everyday conversations in Japanese.
RESOBOX’s Japanese Nihon buyō (classical dance) class is a unique offering in Long Island open to anyone ages 12 and up. Also known as nichibu, the dance dates back to about 1603 when it was created as an integral component of Kabuki Theatre. Fans, umbrellas, and other small hand props often play an important part in Nihon buyō’s interpretation of not only music but poetry. Male and female forms of the dance vary greatly in style, and all genders are encouraged to learn both as anyone can play any gender on the Kabuki stage.
The Community Services department of Los Angeles City College offers a wide variety of not-for-credit classes and events designed to support the mental, moral, physical, economic, and civic development of the Los Angeles community. Some class topics, such as Adobe Illustrator and bookkeeping, provide opportunities for career development, while badminton, guitar, and many other courses focus on fun.
LACC’s Japanese class for beginners fits both categories: Japanese is a skill equally at home on the resume as it is on the schedule for free recreational time. Lara Zhao teaches the basics of the hiragana, kanji, and katakana writing systems as well as everyday conversational skills.
Since 1929, Santa Monica College has provided high-quality education opportunities to residents of the Los Angeles region. While the school’s more than 80 fields of study span a variety of 21st-century career skills from solar technology to early childhood education, its Community Education department focuses on providing a rich variety of hands-on workshops and classes in the arts and humanities.
Santa Monica College’s Japanese Calligraphy class explores multiple art forms. Taught by the renowned calligrapher and dancer Kazuko, who learned the art of brush writing from her uncle in Japan, this class requires her introductory course to Japanese calligraphy as a prerequisite. She promises that the class will “center you and delight all your six senses” as Japanese dance, poetry, and music accompany you in your journey of learning Japanese calligraphy and its history.
Dedicated to fostering lifelong learning for all living in the Greater Chicago region, Discovery Center offers courses by independent educators on topics as varied as crochet, bookkeeping, wine tasting, and Excel. Classes are offered in its Lakeview office as well as other locations throughout the city.
Discovery Center’s Japanese Language - Beginner class offers a uniquely simple and streamlined curriculum designed to arm students with the skills to travel alone in Japan by the end of the six-week course. The class introduces the writing systems of hiragana and katakana along with basic grammar and vocabulary all presented in logical, easy-to-digest lessons.
The University of Washington Botanic Gardens is fully dedicated to its mission to sustain “natural ecosystems and the human spirit through plant research, display, and education.” UW Botanic Gardens features two unique sites on its Seattle campus, with the Center for Urban Horticulture occupying land south of Union Bay and the Washington Park Arboretum spanning 230 acres north of the bay. The Center for Urban Horticulture includes natural areas, demonstration gardens, the Otis Douglas Hyde Herbarium, the Elisabeth C. Miller Horticultural Library, and the Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation Program, while the Arboretum is home to more than 20,000 unique plants from all over the world.
UW Botanic Gardens hosts a wide array of walking tours and workshops, including frequent sessions of the Japanese art of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. Led by Cascadia Forest Therapy, forest bathing walks are moving meditations through less than a mile of trail. Guides offer participants invitations to open their senses and increase their mindfulness throughout the walk in a practice shown to build the immune system and lower stress levels.
Located in Denver’s historic Capitol Hill neighborhood, BridgeLanguages provides accurate and efficient translation, interpretation, and language training services fueled by a passion for building cultural competency and a stage for global citizens to thrive. They offer classes in numerous languages with a high level of attention to personalized support and individual student needs. With offices in Argentina and Chile as well, Bridge Education Group is a global leader in language education.
When you need to learn Japanese fast, BridgeLanguages’ Japanese Beginner (Intensive) class is a proven fast track to proficiency in a matter of weeks. The small classes average around just 12 students, allowing ample opportunity for active participation in Bridge’s communication-based methodology. Meeting five days a week, students are led through dynamic conversations with classmates at the same level and polish their Japanese listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills with speed and precision.
Founded by WPA artist Hazel Salmi in 1936, the Richmond Art Center has evolved to become the largest visual arts center in the East Bay. The facility boasts four galleries featuring rotating exhibitions of San Francisco Bay Area artists and serves thousands of students every year both on-site and in its traveling Art in Community programming. Led by the concept “that within every person lives an artist,” the Richmond Art Center offers an ever-expanding catalog of classes from traditional still life painting to the crafting of flash zines.
Taught by expert brush painter Fumiyo Yoshikawa, Richmond Art Center’s class on Japanese Calligraphy and Brush Painting offers Bay Area residents a chance to explore the Zen art of the Japanese ink brush. The class guides beginners through the fundamentals of working with traditional bamboo brushes, ink, and rice paper to master the brush strokes of a historic art form and paint their own original art.
Virtual Japanese Classes
Online Japanese classes are a popular alternative to traditional in-person classes. While they are more likely to require you to purchase your own books and other supplies, they offer many benefits such as not requiring a commute and allowing you to attend from home or any other preferred location. Scheduled classes with live teachers offer a learning environment and accountability similar to in-person classes, and the lack of geographical restrictions means there are many more course options to choose from than can be found in-person in even the most densely populated cities.
When looking for virtual Japanese classes, you’ll find options for a variety of levels, whether you are just beginning your Japanese journey or brushing up your intermediate high proficiency before a trip to Tokyo. If you’re in the latter category, the International School of Languages’ six-week Japanese High Intermediate 2 course is the boost you’re looking for to build your consistency and competency to progress to an advanced proficiency level in the language. It is the first of the school’s three Japanese High Intermediate II courses and focuses on practical conversation skills, especially those needed when eating at restaurants and making plans to go out with friends.
Meanwhile, Fluent City offers a Japanese course designed with the absolute beginner in mind. The ten-week course focuses on the writing system of hiragana, as well as basic conversational sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Another option for beginners is ABC Languages’ eight-week virtual Japanese course. Unlike many other options, ABC Languages’ class for “total beginners” is open to teens as young as 16 and introduces students to all three of Japanese’s writing systems.
Private Group Japanese Classes
Are you looking for a platform that offers live online group Japanese classes for your business, school, or organization? Whether you want to arm your team with an excellent command of business Japanese or your group wants to learn Japanese as a fun team-building event, CourseHorse offers Japanese classes for private groups that will help you achieve your goals.
Treat your team to an online class on the Japanese art of shibori as part of their Japanese learning journey. Japanese artisans have used this unique tie-dying method to create both simple and elaborate fabric patterns for centuries. Your team will learn about six different styles of shibori and make your own shibori tote bag with the guidance of an expert instructor.
If your organization is interested in other options for online Japanese group classes, the CourseHorse team is available to help you find the exact fit for your team. Simply use the contact form to let CourseHorse know what your group’s Japanese goals may be, or schedule a phone call with a team member about Japanese private class options.
Without charging you a booking fee, CourseHorse experts can help you design the perfect private class experience for your team. You will be walked through the simple process step by step and receive confirmation of your class within 24 hours of your reservation.
Book with confidence even if you don’t know your exact group size, as you can add or subtract from your class size until a week before your course start date. CourseHorse will even ship Japanese textbooks or any other materials required for the course directly to each student.
For a $150 fee, CourseHorse can customize your class curriculum to include specific experiences for your team, such as an on-topic game or questions pertinent to your organization.
Do you have a preferred platform for your private Japanese class? While CourseHorse recommends Zoom, they are happy to accommodate Google Meets, WebEx, and Microsoft Teams. And depending on your location and other factors, some instructors may be able to come to your office or home space to offer in-person classes.
What Will I Need to Learn Japanese?
With dedication and drive, Japanese can be learned with little but a computer or phone and access to the internet. Japanese language classes may require textbooks, Japanese literature such as manga or picture books, and notetaking materials. If calligraphy is included in the course, traditional tools like bamboo brushes, ink, and rice paper are likely to be required, while Japanese cultural classes may involve fans, kimonos, tea, or other specialized cultural items. Many teachers will provide these items or point you to vendors to easily purchase them yourself.
Is it Difficult to Learn Japanese?
Described as a “super-hard” language by the Foreign Service Institute, Japanese certainly requires more from English speakers to master than Romantic and Germanic languages. Many are understandably intimidated by learning a new writing system (or three, if you intend to master kanji, hiragana, and katakana), along with the vocabulary, grammar, and rules of politeness unique to the language. However, Japanese students more often than not find the writing systems logical and fun to learn and the grammar rules easy to memorize and apply accurately thanks to the language’s few exceptions (especially compared to English). Those learning the language to enrich their enjoyment of anime and other Japanese cultural exports have no need for business Japanese and, with motivation and the right resources, can quickly digest enough basics to accomplish their goals. While the journey to proficiency in Japanese is no small undertaking, with hard work, dedication, and thoughtfully chosen classes and tools, your goal of Japanese mastery is well within your reach.
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