Japanese Classes in Berkeley

Mari was born in Gunma Prefecture and studied French literature at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo. After living and working in several countries, she settled in the Bay Area in 2005. She has taught Japanese to children and adults at a local language school for more than six years and also teaches learners living in Japan virtually.

To deepen her teaching practice, Mari completed the Japanese Language Teacher Training Course at Seisa University in Yokohama and earned teacher certification. She adapts lessons to students’ levels and expectations, encourages questions, and helps learners progress at a comfortable pace. Her international experiences and energetic style make language and cultural exchange a natural part of class.

Elsiemae grew up bilingual in Japanese and English on the West Coast and has roots in Sapporo and Okinawa. She holds a master’s degree in Japanese literature and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Portland State University, where she also worked as a graduate teaching assistant.

She has taught Japanese at Columbus State University and tutored Japanese for U.S. military personnel. She also works in manga proofreading and Japanese-to-English translation and interpretation. From 2023 to 2025, she lived in Japan, volunteering and teaching Japanese and English in several communities. Her immersive teaching draws on culture and supports students in reaching their own goals.

Lucy has taught Korean and Japanese for over 15 years in universities in England and Italy, with the King Sejong Institute, and at an online high school. She has studied Korean, Japanese, education, and business, including education at Tohoku University in Japan.

Her qualifications include JLPT Level 1, a TKSOL certification, an MBA, and a Michigan teaching license. She personalizes instruction to help students build confidence, make measurable progress, and use language authentically while understanding its cultural context.

Jenna holds an M.A. in Korean Studies focused on teaching Korean as a foreign language and a B.A. in Japanese Language and Literature. She has more than a decade of professional language teaching experience and has worked with students from a wide range of backgrounds and learning needs.

She is also a co-author of Korean language textbooks. Jenna sees language study as a way to connect with people, culture, travel, and new opportunities, and she aims to guide each learner along a path suited to their goals.

Li (Julie) grew up in China and lived in Japan for more than seven years. She earned a B.A. in Japanese Studies from Shanghai International Studies University, an M.A. in English Translation from Xiamen University, and a Ph.D. in Chinese and Japanese language and literature from Nagoya University.

While working at a Japanese bank, she volunteered to teach Japanese to colleagues. She later taught Chinese language and literature during her doctoral studies. Her research in Japanese literature and cross-cultural communication informs lessons that combine language with a deeper understanding of China and Japan. She adapts instruction to students’ goals and current level.

Kayo was born and raised in Tokyo and earned bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in English there. She moved to the United States in 1995 for further graduate study at Southern Connecticut State University, where she taught Japanese and pursued a Japanese teaching certificate.

At Southern, she redesigned the Japanese curriculum around the connection between language and culture and taught for more than 20 years. She has also taught English composition and literature at the college level. Kayo uses art, food, and music to help learners connect with Japanese language and the culture of her home country.