13 Best Japanese Teachers

Learning a language is a great way to satisfy your quest for knowledge. Whether you’re planning a trip to Japan or just love the culture, understanding Japanese can make you feel more connected. There are plenty of teachers available for beginning or advanced learners.

Before choosing a teacher, make sure you know how to get the most out of lessons when you’re learning online. Preparing for each class helps you learn and retain more information.

Best Japanese Teachers Online

The Japanese language is very involved. You need to learn Japanese characters to understand the alphabet. Pronunciation and sentence structure is also important. These 13 teachers give the best lessons if you want to know how to learn Japanese.

1. Julia Akashi at Amphy

Julia Akashi is the most popular Japanese tutor on Amphy. She hosts various classes, including a free group for beginners. You get a chance to experience her teaching style and get a feel for the language before starting lessons. Julia teaches beginner and advanced courses and helps you learn your favorite Japanese songs or anything related to anime and manga.

2. Zhuoran Cai at Amphy

Zhuoran Cai goes by the nickname Kaela on Amphy. She’s a native Chinese speaker but studied English and Japanese until she became fluent in both. Kaela works as a professional tutor and has experience teaching at an international school. She also draws from her background as a speech therapist to help students learn proper pronunciation.

3. Namiko from AmazingTalker

Namiko is a Japanese tutor who worked at the Japanese city hall and taught children at an international primary school. Her courses include survival Japanese so you learn all the basic language and can speak confidently with native speakers or when you travel. You get private lessons, so Namiko customizes each class to suit your needs and language goals.

4. Sarah Moon on YouTube

Sarah Moon is a translator who learned Japanese for her work. She films videos about being a Japanese-to-English translator, including great lessons for beginners. She uses a framework similar to a Japanese language textbook but relates the topics to current events. She talks about anime, video games, and Japanese culture, adding a dose of humor to each lesson.

5. Emi at italki

Emi is a tutor living in Japan. She earned her teaching degree and also studied Korean and English. Emi has experience teaching elementary-aged students who moved to Japan. Since they didn’t know anything about the country, she integrated practical lessons and information about the culture and current events, which she does in her online lessons, too.

Top Language Courses

Japanese Personal Lesson for Any levels/ages! (45)

European Portuguese

Spanish Beginner Course

Explore More >

There are plenty of teachers available for beginning or advanced learners.

6. Ryo at italki

While Emi at italki has a more practical approach to her language and culture lessons, Ryo tackles the professional side of things. You can hire him as a tutor if you need help preparing for job interviews, business meetings, or academic-based work. He has a Master’s degree in Information Sciences, so he can speak well about many professions.

7. Yuko Sensei on YouTube

You don’t get one-on-one lessons through YouTube, but you can learn a lot from Yuko Sensei. Her videos are free, and you can watch them on demand, so you don’t have to worry about your financial or time constraints. She has 20 years of experience as a teacher, so you get quality lessons regarding grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

8. Mariko on Verbling

Verbling is the language portal from Chegg, which offers homework help, textbooks, and tutors. Mariko is a Japanese language tutor who offers over 200 diverse lessons. She has a teaching background and loves languages, as evidenced by her knowing Chinese, English, and Italian. Mariko offers beginning, intermediate, and business-level Japanese lessons.

9. Shinobu Murata Verhagen on Live Lingua

Shinobu Murata Verhagen grew up in Japan and now lives in Canada. She studied Japanese Literature and Education. Shinobu’s professional background includes teaching all levels of students, as well as lessons for exchange students. Her courses include the first two levels of the Japanese language and a course on Japanese culture. She also teaches private lessons.

10. Yuri K on Preply

Yuri K is a native Japanese speaker who’s also fluent in English. She has four Japanese lessons available on Preply, or you can hire her as a personal tutor. Yuri’s background includes teaching grammar, language, and business Japanese. She loves anime and incorporates it into her lessons. Yuri is a friendly, engaging teacher who’s popular on the platform.

11. Mika M on Wyzant

Mika M’s native language is Japanese, but she’s also very skilled in English and communicates with students both ways. She has a teaching background and over 14 years of tutoring experience. She loves to help people learn, especially if they have an interest in anime, manga, or Japanese culture. Since learning a language is tough, Mika aims to make her lessons fun.

12. Miyako Fujinawa at Japanese Online Institute

Once you have a good grasp of the basic Japanese language structure and alphabet, you can hire Miyako Fujinawa as your tutor. Miyako teaches intermediate and advanced lessons on the Japanese language and grammar. You can take the regular course or have private instruction. Each conversation centers on a theme, so you’ll learn real-world applications for the phrases.

13. Takashi Kawatani

Takashi Kawatani is a Japanese businessman with over 30 years of experience. He’s the President of the Diversity Management Institute of Japan and loves helping professionals learn Japanese for their work trips and business dealings. You can take several courses from Takashi, such as:

Final Notes

Amphy has the best Japanese teachers, whether you’re searching for a native speaker or not. You can also use the platform to learn another language, like Spanish.

See what Amphy has to offer so you can continue to learn and develop your passions.