Hi, I’m Makoto. I love traveling and have visited about 50 countries. I’ve lived in New Zealand and Portugal, as well as in Hokkaido, Gunma, and Okinawa. I enjoy watching anime, especially action and isekai, and I’m also into sports like tennis, basketball, and rugby.
I’ve been teaching Japanese on italki since April 2022 and completed a Japanese Language Teacher Training Course the same year. I use a variety of teaching methods tailored to each student.
I studied English in New Zealand and Portuguese in Portugal from scratch, and I’m currently learning Spanish, so I understand both the challenges and the joy of learning new languages.
My lessons focus on the following areas:
Free talk
We can have conversations about topics that interest you, helping you stay motivated and enjoy learning.
Common phrases and grammar
With my training and experience on italki, I use a variety of teaching methods to help you understand and use Japanese effectively.
Business Japanese for hospitality
Based on my professional experience in the hospitality industry, I can teach you useful words and phrases for real work situations.
I want to help you improve your Japanese while making the learning process fun and engaging!
My teaching material
PDF file
Articles and news
Presentation slides/PPT
Quizzes
Text Documents
My creations
5.0
Rating
153
Students
1,333
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
5.0
Rating
153
Students
1333
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
Japanese Lessons
Trial Lesson
90 lessons completed
USD 6.50+
Getting familiar with Japanese for beginners/「初中級」日本語の基礎(きそ)から応用(おうよう)まで
A1 - A2Language Essentials560 lessons completed
USD 15.50+
Package with 7% off
Intermediate level with articles and youtube/「中級〜上級」より自然な日本語を身につけましょう
B1 - C2Language Essentials393 lessons completed
USD 15.50+
Package with 7% off
Free conversation/会話レッスン
B1 - C2Conversation290 lessons completed
USD 13.50+
Package with 7% off
Study with Minna no Nihongo
A1 - B1Language Essentials0 lessons completed
USD 21.00
Package with 7% off
Availability
My creations
Quiz (62)
96 Reviews
Amy Fontinelle
16 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
Makoto does an excellent job of tailoring each lesson to what I want to work on. He asks me for feedback and takes my responses into consideration when preparing our next lesson. He is patient and kind and makes me feel comfortable even though sometimes it can feel embarrassing when you are trying to speak in an unfamiliar language. I always enjoy our lessons and feel like I am learning a lot.
Dec 19, 2025
Aidan
10 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
Makoto is great for a Japanese learner of any level. His English is really good, and therefore he can explain most concepts with ease. His attitude is professional and he can hold conversations well, overall he's a great teacher.
Mar 5, 2025
Sylwia Grzegorczyk
5 Japanese lessons
I really enjoyed my lessons with Makoto. He always made an effort to explain everything I asked about clearly and patiently, which helped me understand the material much better.
He also encouraged me to speak a lot, in a positive and supportive way, which really helped build my confidence.
Apr 13, 2026
Imran (I-Mu-Ran)
43 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
Makoto is a great teacher! He is very helpful and patient, and gives good examples. Would highly recommend!
Apr 19, 2025
Rhian
2 Japanese lessons
Makoto is very calm, professional and easy to communicate with. Great lesson.
May 15, 2026
Ashley
1 Japanese lesson
Makoto-san and I had a fun conversation today. He helped me with practicing work conversations and I learned about his current job. We did role play about an article and I learned new vocabulary. Thank you Makoto-san for a great lesson!