I'm a native Japanese teacher based in Osaka, and I work with English speakers every day. I'll check your level myself, find a language school in Japan that fits your goal, in whichever city suits you, talk to the school in Japanese for you, and stay in touch after you land. Free for you: no fees, ever. Schools pay me, you don't.
Most school websites are in Japanese, and the brochures all say the same things: small classes, friendly teachers, JLPT preparation (the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, from N5 for beginners to N1 for advanced). From the outside, you can't tell which course would actually suit you.
That's the part a teacher can help with. I'll ask what you can say in Japanese right now, what you want to be able to do, and how long you have. Then I'll tell you which schools match, and which don't.
I teach Japanese online to English speakers, and I run @helpmekansai, an Instagram account about the difference between standard Japanese and the Kansai dialect (the everyday Japanese of Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and the wider Kansai region, spoken by around 20 million people). Most readers live outside Japan, and many have asked me the question you might have: "Where should I study?"
You can, and for some people that's the right call. This is the honest difference.
| A large placement agency | KOTOHA | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you talk to | A coordinator, often a former student. Next time it may be someone else. | A native Japanese teacher, living in Osaka. The same person every time. |
| Who checks your level | Usually a form. | Me, on a 30-minute call. I do this every day. |
| Which schools | Their partner schools only. | The school that fits, including ones that don't pay me. I'll say so. |
| Where | Nationwide, usually run from Tokyo. | Anywhere in Japan. I'm based in Osaka, so Kansai is where I know best and where you can meet me in person, but Tokyo, Fukuoka or Sapporo are all fine. We pick the city for your goal, not mine. |
| After you land | Depends on the package. | Message me any day. Plus a free language meetup in Osaka, and in Vancouver when you go home. |
| Cost to you | Usually free. | ¥0. No sign-up fee, no success fee, no hidden extras. Always. |
| Size | Thousands of students a year. | Small on purpose, so I can actually stay in touch. |
Three situations I hear most often. You don't have to fit neatly into one.
A short course while you travel. For many nationalities no visa is needed for stays up to 90 days. Good for testing whether you like a city, a school, and daily life in Japanese before committing to a year.
A long-term course on a student visa. Full-time classes, usually 4 start dates a year (January, April, July and October). The school applies for your visa paperwork, and I help you prepare for it. This is the route if you're aiming for JLPT N2 (upper-intermediate) or work in Japan.
That's fine. Tell me what you can say in Japanese now and what you'd like to be able to do. We work backwards from there. Sometimes the honest answer is "study online for six more months, then come."
Four steps. Nothing is binding until you apply to a school yourself.
Pick a time on my calendar, or use the form at the bottom of this page. Tell me roughly where you are with Japanese and when you'd like to come.
FreeAbout 30 minutes on a video call, in English. Level check, your goal, your budget, how long you can stay, and what you want daily life to look like.
Book a 30-min callFreeA few schools that actually fit, with what makes each one different: class style, city, housing, real total cost. I'll set up a call or a visit with the school if you want one.
FreeI walk you through the school's process and answer questions along the way. You pay the school directly. I never handle your money.
FreeEvery school says "small classes and friendly teachers". These are the things I actually look at.
My part is free. Here is roughly what the school and living costs look like.
| Typical range | |
|---|---|
| Short course, per week | ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 |
| 3-month full-time course | ¥150,000 to ¥200,000 |
| 1-year course, tuition | ¥600,000 to ¥900,000 |
| School dormitory, per month | ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 |
| Living costs, per month | ¥100,000 to ¥180,000 |
These are rough ranges from published school fees, not quotes. Schools differ a lot, and the city matters: Tokyo sits at the top of the living-cost range, Osaka, Fukuoka and smaller cities nearer the bottom. When I shortlist schools for you, I'll give you each school's exact figures.
The basics, so you know what to expect. The school handles the official paperwork.
Citizens of Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe can enter Japan as a temporary visitor for up to 90 days without applying for a visa in advance. You can take a short language course on that status. You can't work.
When to start: 1 to 2 months before you want to arrive is usually enough. Popular months fill up, so earlier is better.
You need a student visa. The school applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (a document from Japanese immigration that says you can be issued a student visa) on your behalf, then you get the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. You'll need to show that you or your family can cover tuition and living costs. With permission, students can work part-time up to 28 hours a week.
When to start: 6 to 9 months before the start date you want. Most schools start in January, April, July and October, and applications close a few months earlier.
Any city in Japan. I'm based in Osaka, so that's where I know the most, but the right city is the one that fits your goal.
More schools, more course types, and the most part-time jobs. Rent is the highest in Japan, and it's easy to get by in English, which can slow your Japanese down. Good if your goal is work in Tokyo or a specific school there.
Three cities 30 minutes apart: Osaka's food and talkative people, Kyoto's temples, Kobe's sea and mountains. I was born in Osaka, so here you can meet me in person, and the free language meetup is here.
Fewer English speakers around you, lower rent, and classes that are often smaller. Fukuoka, Sapporo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Okinawa. If a city like this fits your goal, I'll find the schools there and check them the same way.
Most agencies stop at the airport. I think that's where the real work starts.
Japanese people who want to practise English, learners who want to practise Japanese, in the same room. Use what you learned in class the same week. Free for students I introduced, on short and long courses alike. Studying in another city? I'll point you to a good exchange there.
Canadays, our partner community in Vancouver, runs Japanese–English language exchanges five times a week, with 700+ people a month. As an KOTOHA student you join free after you return. Your Japanese doesn't have to stop at the airport.
A form you don't understand, a landlord, something a teacher said. Send it to me. I'll help you sort it out, and if the school should know, I'll pass it on with your permission.
Yes. You don't pay me anything at any point. When a student I introduced enrols, the school pays me a referral fee. That fee comes out of the school's marketing budget, not out of your tuition. If you ever feel a cost is unclear, ask me directly and I'll show you exactly who pays what.
No. I have referral arrangements with some schools and none with others. If the right school for you is one that doesn't pay me, I'll tell you, and you can apply to them directly. I'd rather you end up in the right place than in a school that pays me.
Fair question. I keep the number of students I work with at any one time small, and you'll always have a direct way to reach me. If I can't do something well, I'll say so rather than let you wait.
Yes. A second opinion costs nothing. I won't contact any school on your behalf unless you ask me to.
No. Schools have beginner classes, and our conversations are in English. If you already know some Japanese, tell me roughly what you can do and we'll find a class at the right level rather than starting you from zero.
Then we look at others. The shortlist is a starting point, not a decision. You can also visit or video-call the school before applying. Nothing is committed until you send an application yourself.
On a student visa, yes, up to 28 hours a week once you get work permission after arriving. On a 90-day temporary visitor stay, no. Many students on the long course do part-time work in cafés, convenience stores or hotels.
I'll tell you what each school offers (dormitory, share house, homestay) and what the neighbourhood is like. Housing contracts are between you and the school or the housing company. I can help you understand the paperwork in English.
I'm an independent Japanese teacher based in Osaka, working on my own under the name KOTOHA. Introductions to schools are referral arrangements. I'm not an immigration lawyer or a visa agency, so for visa questions beyond the basics I'll point you to the school or the official source.
We talk online, in English. Tell me your goal, and I'll tell you honestly which schools fit you — and which ones don't.
Send a question instead. I'll reply within two working days.
Prefer Instagram? Send me a DM at @helpmekansai. Either way works.
日本語学校の皆さまへ：これは学習者向けの英語ページです。学生がこの入口から相談に来ることを、こちらでご確認いただけます。 学校向けのページはこちら →
