Japanese tutors · Los Angeles · Since 2006
Japanese Tutors & Classes in Los Angeles. Konnichiwa.
Private lessons with native-speaking instructors. Matched to your goals, your schedule, and your life. Start any time.
Your instructors
Japanese class instructors
Every tutor, personally met. — founder-vetted since 2006, in Los Angeles and online worldwide.
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Pick your language — a language advisor will match you with the right tutor and map out your path.
Learn Japanese in a fun way with a stand up comic and experienced teacher! I make Japanese easy
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
A stand-up comic by night and a UCLA-trained medical translator by day, Aiko makes Japanese grammar land through timing, not just explanation.
Learn Japanese in a fun way with a stand up comic and experienced teacher! I make Japanese easy
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
A stand-up comic by night and a UCLA-trained medical translator by day, Aiko makes Japanese grammar land through timing, not just explanation.
Japanese teacher, Guitar teacher, Studio City LA, from Tokyo Japan
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Akira taught for years before joining Strommen. He teaches Japanese off the GENKI textbook, plus guitar on the side.
Also speaks: English
Japanese teacher, Guitar teacher, Studio City LA, from Tokyo Japan
I also speak: English
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Akira taught for years before joining Strommen. He teaches Japanese off the GENKI textbook, plus guitar on the side.
Japanese Tutor in Tokyo
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
One of Elisa's students held a ten-minute conversation entirely in Japanese after three months; another passed the JLPT. Tokyo-based, Kansai-ben included.
Specialties
Also speaks: English, History, Kids, Music, Other, Spanish, Yoga
Japanese Tutor in Tokyo
Specialties
I also speak: English, History, Kids, Music, Other, Spanish, Yoga
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
One of Elisa's students held a ten-minute conversation entirely in Japanese after three months; another passed the JLPT. Tokyo-based, Kansai-ben included.
Japanese Tutor Eriko - Masters in Linguistics years of experience with Kids and Adults
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
With us since 2015 and a linguistics master's in hand, Eriko teaches Tokyo-standard Japanese to kids and adults with the same care.
Specialties
Japanese Tutor Eriko - Masters in Linguistics years of experience with Kids and Adults
Specialties
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
With us since 2015 and a linguistics master's in hand, Eriko teaches Tokyo-standard Japanese to kids and adults with the same care.
Stop memorising, start understanding!
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Veronika taught Japanese on other platforms for five-plus years before Strommen. Her pitch is structure over memorization, JLPT prep included.
Specialties
Also speaks: English, German, Italian, Spanish
Stop memorising, start understanding!
Specialties
I also speak: English, German, Italian, Spanish
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Veronika taught Japanese on other platforms for five-plus years before Strommen. Her pitch is structure over memorization, JLPT prep included.
japanese
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
The Tohoku dialect sits right alongside standard Tokyo Japanese on Kana's schedule, genuinely rare regional range for one tutor.
Specialties
japanese
Specialties
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
The Tohoku dialect sits right alongside standard Tokyo Japanese on Kana's schedule, genuinely rare regional range for one tutor.
Let's learn Japanese with Misen
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Every lesson with Misen opens with a quick review of what was covered the week before, Kansai-ben included alongside standard Japanese.
Specialties
Let's learn Japanese with Misen
Specialties
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Every lesson with Misen opens with a quick review of what was covered the week before, Kansai-ben included alongside standard Japanese.
A patient japanese tutor who learns with you, not just teaches you. Beginner-friendly lessons using structure materials and clear explanations with step-by-step support.
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Sapporo-based, Hinako teaches beginner-friendly Japanese with original materials and a fixed structure: icebreaker, vocab review, grammar, every lesson.
Specialties
Also speaks: English
A patient japanese tutor who learns with you, not just teaches you. Beginner-friendly lessons using structure materials and clear explanations with step-by-step support.
Specialties
I also speak: English
Personally vetted · Strommen’s note
Sapporo-based, Hinako teaches beginner-friendly Japanese with original materials and a fixed structure: icebreaker, vocab review, grammar, every lesson.
Why Japanese?
Four reasons to take Japanese classes
Unlock Japan's $5T Economy
Japan is the world's third-largest economy with massive demand for bilingual professionals in tech, automotive, and finance. Japanese fluency opens doors that English alone cannot.
Experience Manga & Anime in the Original
Subtitles lose the wordplay, honorifics, and cultural nuance that make Japanese storytelling so rich. Reading manga raw is a completely different experience.
Master a Unique Writing System
Japanese uses three scripts — hiragana, katakana, and kanji — making it one of the most intellectually rewarding languages to learn. Each system reveals a different layer of meaning.
Navigate Japan Like a Local
Outside Tokyo's tourist corridors, English is rare. Speaking Japanese transforms your travel from guided tours to hidden izakayas, rural ryokans, and real conversations.
Since 2006
Japanese in Los Angeles
Japanese is spoken by 125 million people, almost all of them in Japan. It uses three writing systems simultaneously (hiragana, katakana, and kanji), which means reading a single sentence can require switching between scripts mid-word. The language marks politeness structurally: verb endings, pronouns, and even vocabulary shift depending on who you are talking to and your relationship to them. Japanese word order places the verb at the end of the sentence, which forces English speakers to hold the entire thought before completing it.
Los Angeles has the largest Japanese-American population in the continental United States. Little Tokyo downtown is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the country. Sawtelle Japantown on the Westside draws crowds for its ramen shops and izakayas, but it is also where you will hear Japanese spoken casually on the street. Torrance has a major concentration of Japanese businesses and expat families, with grocery stores, bookshops, and restaurants that operate primarily in Japanese. The anime and gaming communities across LA create another entry point: fans who started with subtitles and decided they wanted the real thing. Strommen also has deep Japanese entertainment-industry credits, including coaching Keanu Reeves on Japanese for 47 Ronin.
Strommen has been matching students with private Japanese tutors in Los Angeles since 2014. Our tutors are native speakers who build lessons around actual conversation, not textbook drills. Whether you are preparing for business meetings in Tokyo, studying for the JLPT, or trying to follow along at your favorite ramen counter without pointing at the menu, we match you with a tutor who fits your goals and your schedule. Every lesson happens one on one, online or in person.
No public Japanese group classes right now — but we can set up a semi-private class for your family, friends, or company with as few as two people. Get in touch.
Japanese class FAQ
What is the best way to learn Japanese?
Consistent one-on-one conversation with a native speaker. Japanese has layers of politeness and context that textbooks explain but can't teach you to use naturally. Working with a tutor lets you practice real dialogue, get corrected in the moment, and build the instincts that make speech sound fluent rather than translated. Supplement with kanji practice and listening — podcasts, shows, anything that keeps your ear tuned to natural speed.
How long does it take to learn Japanese?
The U.S. State Department classifies Japanese as a Category IV language — the hardest tier for English speakers — and estimates 2,200 class hours to reach professional proficiency. That said, you can hold basic conversations within 3-6 months of regular study. The writing system takes the longest; spoken Japanese grammar is actually quite regular once you get the sentence structure down.
Is Japanese hard for English speakers?
Parts of it are, and parts aren't. Pronunciation is straightforward — five vowels, no tones, and most sounds exist in English. Grammar is logical and consistent, with few irregular verbs. The difficulty is in the writing system (you need around 2,000 kanji for newspaper-level reading) and the social language registers, where choosing the wrong politeness level can change the entire meaning of what you said.
Can I take Japanese classes online?
Yes. All of our Japanese lessons are available online via video call. You get the same native-speaking tutor, the same personalized curriculum, and the same conversational focus. Many students prefer online because it fits more easily into a work schedule, and screen sharing makes it simple to work through reading exercises and kanji practice together.
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Since 2006 · Los Angeles
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