Jan. 2026〜, all lessons will be increased by $2:Improve your pronunciation using The Actor's Method!
Teaches
Japanese
Native
Speaks
English
Jan. 2026〜, all lessons will be increased by $2:Improve your pronunciation using The Actor's Method!
About Me
Me as a Teacher
My lessons & teaching style
Resume & Certificates
From JapanLiving in Nagoya, Japan (20:27 UTC+09:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Jul 26, 2024
InterestsPets & AnimalsTravelMusicHistoryFilms & TV Series
Hi there! I'm Ako, and I'm excited to have fun conversations with you as your Japanese teacher. I've been involved in theater, both performing and writing scripts. My experience winning the Toyota Short Play Festival means I can show you how to make your Japanese really connect!
Plus, with my corporate background, I'm great at teaching business Japanese and natural, everyday conversation.
I'm passionate about travel and music, and I've explored over 10 countries.
Let's learn Japanese and have a blast discovering cultural differences together!
Me as a Teacher
I also have experience learning foreign languages online, and I consider the following when teaching:
1. I'll ask about your goals and needs to provide the best possible lessons.
2. I aim to create a relaxed and enjoyable learning environment.
3. For beginners, I'll focus on building the joy of speaking Japanese together first.
4. For intermediate learners who want to improve their pronunciation and intonation, I'll teach "Actor's Method."
5. Lessons will progress at a pace that suits you.
6. I'll leverage my extensive corporate experience to teach you authentic business Japanese.
My lessons & teaching style
1. All lessons are for ages 16 and above.
2. For your first lesson, please book 30 minutes. Tell me about your needs and requests.
3. You can request me the conversation speed. Very slow, Slow or Normal.
4. Lessons are basically in Japanese only. I use basic English if you need help. Don't worry, I'll try my best to understand your language with translators and other handy tools.
5. I'll make sure you feel relaxed and at ease during our lessons.
Thanks for your cooperation
My teaching material
PDF file
Text Documents
Presentation slides/PPT
Image files
Articles and news
Test templates and examples
Homework Assignments
Certificates
Certificate - Japan Educational Exchanges and Services - 2022I passed the Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test.
This test is essential for teaching Japanese.
Certificate verified
Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test - Japan Educational Exchanges and Services - 2022このテストに合格すれば、日本語学校で教えることができます。
By passing this test, I can teach at a Japanese language school.
Certificate verified
Teaching experience
2023 - 2025
teacherAichi Japanese Language Association - Aichi, Japan
2024 - Current
tutoritalki - Japan
Education
1983 - 1985
Other - EnglishNagasaki Pref. Junior College English Department
2009 - 2011
Other - Actor, Direction,ScriptToyota Theatre Academy
Work Experience
2005 - 2020
secretaryTOYOTA MOTOR Co. - Aichi, Japan
1991 - 2000
Overseas business trip staffJapan Travel Bureau - Japan
5.0
Rating
14
Students
80
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
5.0
Rating
14
Students
80
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
Japanese Lessons
Trial Lesson
4 lessons completed
USD 10.00+
🇯🇵Starter/Beginner🇯🇵 Let's try speaking in Japanese
A1 - B1Conversation48 lessons completed
USD 20.00+
Package with 4% off
🇯🇵Beginner / Intermediate🇯🇵 Brush up on your conversation skills!
A2 - B2Conversation28 lessons completed
USD 25.00+
Package with 14% off
🇯🇵Conversation in the Japanese workplace
B1 - C1Conversation0 lessons completed
USD 27.00+
Package with 5% off
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
42 Reviews
Isabella S
5 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
I was so happy to have this lesson with Ako-sensei! We spoke about upcoming holiday plans and had lots of fun discussing various topics. I always look forward to my lesson every week because it gives me a chance to keep speaking Japanese and trying my best! I tried my hand at writing kanji from the QUARTET book, and will keep practicing to perfect them. I'm really looking forward to next week's lesson and will continue to do my best under Ako-sensei's care!
Dec 23, 2025
Billie Xu
8 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
I was very nervous before the lesson, but Ako made it very easy and fun! She celebrated every time when I was able to understand her and answered her question. I think she is a great teacher and I will keep following her!
Aug 9, 2024
Isabella S
5 Japanese lessons
Yet another enjoyable lesson from Ako-sensei! The first half of the hour was focused on casual conversation, which I enjoyed very much. The second half was focused on continuing grammar from QUARTET. Ako-sensei explained it so well and I was able to practice real-time with examples from the book. I truly enjoyed how she makes learning feel fun and low-pressure. She is very joyful and interesting!
Dec 10, 2025
Jimmy
45 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
Today, me and Ako-Sensei were able to start wrapping up th grammar in Chapter 3 of Quartet - the halfway point of the text book. It's a great help having Ako-Sensei work through the book with me as she's able to explain any grammar questions I have while going through the text.
We have found a nice lesson structure where we spend half of the lesson doing free talk about whatever comes to mind and then the other half where we go through textbook work. I think it offers a great mix of learning conversational Japanese, while also being able to build my foundations through a textbook.
Thank You Ako-Sensei!
Dec 20, 2025
Isabella S
5 Japanese lessons
Today's lesson was so much fun! Again, half of the lesson was free talking and the other half was learning grammar from the book. I have been sending Ako-sensei pictures of my hobby and my life and I love how enjoyable it is to converse naturally about our lives. She makes conversation so entertaining! I would definitely suggest being open and interested in sharing your life with Ako-sensei - she is a true friend who encourages you every step of the way. I also love how I have become more and more confident in speaking Japanese. Even though it's just been a few weeks since I've started with my lessons, I'm very excited to see just how much my confidence has grown ever since I've started having lessons with Ako-sensei.
Dec 16, 2025
Isabella S
5 Japanese lessons
Today was my first full lesson with Ako-sensei and I truly enjoyed it! We started out with the QUARTET textbook, which I think is a great book for anyone who has already studied Genki I & II. The kanji, grammar, discussion questions, and topics are all very relevant and fun. Half of the time, we spoke freely about various topics. It was great being able to speak without feeling judged, and Ako-sensei provided tons of support throughout. I learned so much about Japanese culture and vocabulary in a short time. The rest of the lesson was about the textbook questions, and I had fun with those too. I can't wait for my next lesson, and I might even consider taking a 90 min lesson once I get used to the structure and have time. It's just so fun to talk to Ako-sensei!