If you’ve just moved to Japan or have decided that you want to lift your Japanese language game, I have attended Coto Japanese Club in Azabu-Juban.
I honestly think that all major corporations who are placing their employees in Tokyo as expat families should consider a supplementary language course for all new family members. Also, there is no joining fee at this school (basically unheard of in Japan) so you could even do some lessons, even if you’re a traveller or in Japan on a short term contract.
Those of you who have read my Conversational Japanese: My Suggested Shortcuts post, you’ll know how much I love to harp on about how I believe that, if you are already in Japan, it is important to learn the truly useful Japanese phrases first. Those phrases that you can literally use on the way home, at the supermarket even on the train.
And this school operates with a similar line of thinking. They want to help you get talking.
In fact, for some of their classes, they are sent out on mini-excursions to use their skills and some of those excursions are practicing phone calls, asking for directions, shopping etc. Such a cute idea right?
I love how the focus in PRACTICAL, REAL-LIFE Japanese. It just makes so much more sense than slowing things down with starting with reading and writing when you need to start asking for directions, talking to colleagues and making friends. I have been frustrated with other schools in the past for not focusing on this enough.
Coto Japanese Club in Azabu-Juban offer :
- a Daily Japanese Course ( this is an intensive course that runs for 4 days a week and you can just do one week, a month or several months
- A Part Time Japanese Course ( You choose how many sessions and when you take part in the amount of lessons purchased
- Private Lessons ( 50 minutes at a time, you can choose how many sessions you purchase in one go.)
They also have after-school classes for children to learn that includes crafts and other activities too. It’s really cute.
I also have friends who take classes here as a couple so they can then help one another as their vocab levels increase.
I definitely recommend asking the staff here about lesson hours. Lessons are not just limited to weekday daytimes. Weekends and late night classes also work. Aoto Japanese Club is surprisingly flexible.
Once you are a student you are welcome to the communal study area in the reception area, full access to all of the textbooks and there is a coffee machine ( 100 yen per coffee) for those studying or about to begin classes.
The teachers and staff are kind, know their stuff ( some members of the school management team have published their own Japanese textbook) and are used to assist non-Japanese speakers with the skills and the patience required.
The textbook used is called “Fun & Easy” as well as other original handouts that are custom-made for different types of students such as those working in Japan, Mothers of young children etc.
This curated approach to curriculum is different to other language schools that stick to step-by-step textbooks so it is hard to not get bored or really make use of when in a busy or slightly more pressured environment.
COTO JAPANESE CLUB is in Azabu-Juban.
The address is:
3F Azabu Shinwa Building,
2-11-5 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku
