Visited 24 minutes ago
Kana
Professional TeacherTeaches
Japanese
Native
Speaks
English
French
Spanish
Italian
Absolute beginners are welcome😊 Let's study Japanese language and the culture behind it together!
Teaches
Japanese
Native
Speaks
English
French
Spanish
Italian
Absolute beginners are welcome😊 Let's study Japanese language and the culture behind it together!
About Me
Me as a Teacher
My lessons & teaching style
Resume & Certificates
From JapanLiving in Portland, United States (14:59 UTC-08:00)
About Me
italki teacher since Aug 13, 2021InterestsHistoryFoodFashion & BeautyPets & AnimalsTravel
Born in Tokyo and raised in Kanagawa, I now call Oregon home after moving from Japan last year. As an intercultural communication specialist (BA & MA), I love bridging cultures through language—especially with beginners! When not teaching, I’m baking, binge-watching shows, sewing, or traveling. I love animals, and your pets are welcome to join lessons anytime to make learning relaxed and fun. Let’s explore Japanese language *and* culture together!
東京生まれ、神奈川育ち、昨年からオレゴン在住です。国際文化学専攻（学士・修士）の経験を活かし、初心者にも優しく日本語と文化を教えています。レッスン以外ではお菓子作りや旅行、Netflix鑑賞をしていることが多いです。動物が好きなので、ペットと一緒にレッスンに参加するのも大歓迎です！リラックスした雰囲気で、一緒に楽しく学びましょう！Me as a Teacher
I started teaching Japanese in 2013 as a volunteer in my hometown, and completed all the requirements of the Japanese Language Teacher Training Course in 2020. I have been teaching Japanese as a certified teacher since then, and I have met people from more than 30 countries through this teaching career so far. I started teaching part-time on italki in August 2021, and I have been meeting wonderful students here as well!
2013年に地元でボランティア講師として日本語を教え始め、2020年に日本語教師の資格を取得しました。それからは、有資格の教師として日本語を教えていて、日本語を教えることを通じて今まで30カ国以上の人に出会いました。italkiは2021年8月にパートタイムで始め、ここでも素晴らしい生徒さんたちに出会えています。 My lessons & teaching style
Because italki is mainly for private lessons, I would like to focus on what and how the students want to study. I think studying Japanese in Japanese is a bit too hard sometimes (especially for beginners), so I would love to help students by using English if needed.
If you are interested in my lessons, please feel free to message me.
For the cancellation policy, please check the lesson booking page.My teaching material
- PDF file
- Text Documents
- Image files
- Video files
- Articles and news
- Quizzes
- Test templates and examples
- Graphs and charts
- Homework Assignments
Certificates
Certificate of completion 日本語教師養成講座420時間修了証 - Tokyo Central Japanese Language School - 2020I completed all the requirements of the Japanese Language Teacher Training Course (420 hours above.)
Certificate verified
Teaching experience
2013 - 2022
Japanese TeacherI taught Japanese as volunteer work at a local community center. I taught Japanese to children, housewives, and full-time workers, who were living in Japan.
2017 - 2018
Student Assistant VolunteerWhile I was studying at Michigan State University as an exchange student (August to December 2017), I did volunteer work at a Japanese class at the university as an assistant. I helped students to make presentations and to practice talking in front of the class.
2020 - 2022
Japanese TutorAs a Japanese tutor, I helped international graduate students work on their homework from classes and their graduate thesis.
2021 - 2022
Certified Japanese TeacherI gave online private Japanese lessons from February to December 2021.
2021 - Current
Certified Japanese Teacher
Education
2020 - 2022
Master's - Intercultural CommunicationMy major is not particularly about Japanese language education, but my thesis was about cultural understanding through learning cultural aspects of the Japanese language, focusing on the reception of Japanese anime/manga and Japanese language education in the United States.
Work Experience
2018 - 2020
Chief of English Tour GuidesI had worked at Samurai Museum in Tokyo as an English tour guide. Unfortunately, the museum has been closed due to the pandemic, but we can talk about Japanese Samurai, history, swords, armor, and so on during the lesson!
2016 - 2020
Tutor (for English, Japanese, and math)I taught Japanese and math to the 2nd-6th grade Japanese students, and English to the 7th-12th Japanese students at a cram school. The lessons were mostly private, and I learned how important to think about what the students really need and change the lesson styles depending on each student and their individual needs.
2022 - 2023
SecretaryI worked on U.S. Navy bases in Japan. The job was to support the department leadership (American people who do not understand Japanese) as a secretary in a bilingual and cross-cultural work environment. I managed scheduling, communication, and documentation, coordinated cross-cultural meetings, and liaised between English and Japanese.
5.0
Rating
116
Students
1,091
Lessons
100%
Attendance rate
100%
Response rate
Japanese Lessons
Trial Lesson
77 lessons completed
USD 8.00+
Conversation Practice 会話の練習
A1 - C1Conversation172 lessons completed
USD 17.00+
Package with 7% off
Textbook Lesson 教科書を使ったレッスン
A1 - B2Language Essentials644 lessons completed
USD 31.50+
Package with 5% off
Customized Lesson カスタマイズレッスン
A1 - C1Language Essentials185 lessons completed
USD 28.50+
Package with 6% off
Availability
Based on your timezone (UTC+00:00)
68 Reviews
Jeremy Arnold
142 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
For my two years of having Kana as my teacher, she is very kind and patient teacher. She waits for me if I’m not confident in my speaking. She also will help correct you if you need it. She also helps you feel more confident in your speaking by talking with you about your life in Japanese every lesson. Also the mini conversations during each lesson about what you’re learning helps a ton. I would recommend her to anyone as a Japanese tutor.
Jan 5, 2024
Chad Martineau
143 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
Very friendly, accommodating, and easy to talk to. I have been having a lot of fun taking lessons with Kana-Sensei
Oct 8, 2021
Philippe STELLA
1 Japanese lesson
Très bonne professeure, enjouée et classe intensive
Aug 8, 2025
Peggy
118 Japanese lessons
Teacher’s pick
Because I really love Japan + Japanese, I asked Kana if I can try to read something about Japan, on top of my textbook lesson. I like travelling in Japan, and she chose a book and tailor made the content for my level, and we talked about a basic understanding of Japan today. It’s a really nice and interesting lesson when I can read and learn Japanese with no pressure at all. I enjoyed it so much. Really a big thank you to Kana!
Jul 16, 2022
Lisatang
1 Japanese lesson
非常棒的一次体验课，老师的风格是开放式自由授课模式，适合自由对话的我。
Nov 5, 2025
Amanda
1 Japanese lesson
I had a great trial lesson with Kana sensei. We started with introductions in Japanese and then switched to English. She was patient and kind even when I struggled. She noticed when I didn't understand and clarified new vocab or phrases using the Zoom chat feature. She also explained how her conversation lessons are structured. I'm excited to take more lessons from her soon!
Jul 30, 2025
Trial Lesson
USD 8.00
Your final payment will be made in USD