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One-to-one Japanese lessons

Find online Japanese tutors

Start your first conversations, develop your reading and writing, or prepare for a Japanese qualification. Choose tuition around what you can already do and what you want to do next.

Find my Japanese tutor
  • One-to-one tuition
  • Pay as you go
  • Direct tutor contact
For learners and families in the UK, online Japanese tuition starts with a clear goal: speaking with relatives, using Japanese on a trip, learning the scripts or tackling a named course. Tell us which matters most, your experience so far and when lessons would fit. You can browse Japanese tutor profiles or make a free matching request.

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Online Japanese Tutors tuition enquiry

Tell us what you know, skip anything you’re unsure about, and add a short description if you skip both subject and level.

  1. Tutoring brief
  2. Contact details

2 questions remaining

Tutoring brief

What level is the tuition for?

Choose a level

Choose a suggestion or type your own answer. You can skip this if you’re unsure.

This form works best for one learner at one level and up to six subjects. If your circumstances are more complicated, email us at Contact@LatimerTuition.com so you can explain everything properly.

How one-to-one tuition can help

  • Turn rehearsed Japanese phrases into questions and replies you can use
  • Connect spoken words with hiragana, katakana and kanji
  • Focus preparation on your own course or Japanese language test

Available tutors

Compare Japanese tutors

Read profiles for the Japanese teaching background that fits your goal, then discuss the lesson approach, current rate and a workable time. For exam preparation, name the qualification and board in your enquiry.

Portrait of Chaitrali Panse

Chaitrali Panse

Japanese Specialist

Slough, United Kingdom

£35.00 per hourDBS checkediAccepting enquiries
Japanese
  • Holds over 15 years' of experience teaching Japanese.
  • Holds a First-Class Masters Degree (MCM Masters in Computer management) from the University of Pune.
  • Holds a First-Class Bachelors Degree in Commerce from the University of Pune.
  • Currently teaching students for JLPT exams (N5 to N2), GCSE Japanese students, and primary and secondary school students.
  • Holds JLPT Nikyu level (2003).

Chaitrali Panse is a Japanese tutor with 15+ years’ experience, teaching GCSE Japanese and JLPT prep (N5–N2). JLPT Nikyu qualified, she provides tailored 1:1 or group lessons with session reports and optional homework.

Send a quick enquiry from here and the Latimer Tuition team will pass it on to Chaitrali.

View Chaitrali’s profile
Portrait of Christian Walter

Christian Walter

★ 5.0

English, Humanities, and MFL Specialist

Greater London, United Kingdom

£38.00 per hourDBS checkediAccepting enquiries
Ancient HistoryEnglish as a foreign LanguageEnglish LanguageEnglish Literature+9 more
  • Over 8 years' of experience working as an online tutor.
  • Holds a Bachelors of Arts in English Language and Linguistics from the University of the West of England.
  • Certifications in TEFL (Distinction), ESOL, TOEFL, Teaching IELTS (Grade A), and Teaching Business English.
  • Holds A-Levels in English Language and Literature, and Psychology.
  • Christian has studied German syntax up to QLS Level 5, and he can support students’ understanding of complex German grammar.
  • Christian is a native English speaker from London.

Christian is an English tutor with over eight years of one-to-one teaching experience, supporting learners from KS2 to GCSE as well as adults developing practical communication skills.

Send a quick enquiry from here and the Latimer Tuition team will pass it on to Christian.

View Christian’s profile
Browse Japanese tutor profilesStart my tutor search

Start with the Japanese you want to use

You do not need the same plan for every Japanese goal. A learner may understand a family conversation but find a written message difficult; a beginner may want to order food before tackling longer texts. Describe the task you want to manage, as well as any course level.

  • First conversations

    Choose a small situation, such as introducing yourself or asking for something in a café. Plan to understand a reply as well as say a memorised line. A useful next step is to change one detail and keep the exchange going.

  • Reading and writing

    Japanese uses hiragana, katakana and kanji. Hiragana and katakana represent sounds; kanji carry meanings and can have different readings. Ask to link new characters to words you can hear and use, with handwriting and reading goals agreed separately.

  • Returning or learning through family

    Bring a short text you find difficult alongside something you can say comfortably. Use that contrast to choose the starting work: recognising words, reading a message, building sentences or responding more freely.

A first Japanese sentence, explained

Here is a beginner example based on the Japan Foundation’s MARUGOTO material. Romanisation below means Japanese sounds written with Latin letters.

わたしは がくせいです。 Watashi wa gakusee desu. — “I’m a student.”

A learner sounding out each character might read は as “ha”. In this sentence, は marks the topic, what we are talking about, and is pronounced wa. わたし (watashi) means “I”; がくせい (gakusee) means “student”. Here, です (desu) completes the polite statement. The correction is to say Watashi wa gakusee desu, then connect the sound wa back to the written は.

Try this short practice exchange, adapted from the same sentence pattern:

がくせいですか。 Gakusee desu ka? — “Are you a student?”

はい、がくせいです。 Hai, gakusee desu. — “Yes, I’m a student.”

The ending か (ka) makes this a question; はい (hai) means “yes”. The topic can be left out when it is clear from the conversation. Take turns asking and answering, then cover the romanisation and try reading the Japanese. This checks whether you can recognise the question and respond, beyond repeating the first line.

Next step

Make online lessons work for sound and scripts

Microsoft Teams is Latimer’s default lesson platform; you and the tutor can agree another platform. Test the lesson link, microphone and any shared audio before the first paid session. For Japanese, clear sound and readable characters matter more than a complicated setup.

Speaking and listening
Use a quiet space and check that both voices are clear. For a listening task, agree how you will play the audio so it reaches you clearly. If the sound drops out, replay the complete phrase before judging whether you understood it.
Reading and handwriting
Use text large enough to distinguish character details. Keep paper and a pen nearby; a clear image or camera view of your writing can give the tutor something specific to discuss. Practise writing a character yourself after watching a demonstration.
Typed answers and shared work
Agree whether an exercise needs handwriting or typed Japanese, and check Japanese text input before it is needed. Keep the prompt and your own answer so you can see what changed after feedback. Share only the work needed for the lesson.

Match exam practice to the actual Japanese qualification

Send the tutor the exact qualification title, board, specification code and exam year if you have them. The Pearson Edexcel GCSE and A-level qualifications below are regulated in England; these details apply to learners taking those specifications. The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a separate test. Match practice to the tasks your route assesses.

Check the Pearson GCSE Japanese specification, Pearson A-level Japanese specification or JLPT test guidance for your route.

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Japanese (1JA0)
Listening, speaking, reading and writing each contribute 25%. Speaking includes a role-play, a picture-based task and conversation. For example, build practice around answering a prompt and handling a follow-up, alongside script reading and written work. Check Foundation or Higher tier with your school.
Pearson Edexcel A-level Japanese (9JA0)
The assessment covers listening, reading and writing, including translation in both directions, an independent-research response and two prescribed works: two literary texts, or one text and one film. There is no speaking examination. Practise making a point about a source or work, selecting evidence and explaining how it supports your interpretation. Keep the research and written responses your own.
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
The JLPT has levels N5 to N1, with N5 the easiest and N1 the most difficult. It tests language knowledge, reading and listening, without a speaking or composition test. Try a short listening or reading task at your intended level, then separate unfamiliar words from details you missed in context. Add conversation practice if speaking is also a goal.

Next step

Choose an approach that fits how you learn

Look for an explanation of how the tutor would approach your starting point. A complete beginner needs Japanese words and scripts made understandable; a confident speaker working on literacy needs a different balance. For an exam goal, discuss the exact assessment tasks rather than relying on general Japanese fluency.

Use the free introductory meeting to discuss goals, the teaching approach and practical arrangements. It is an introduction, rather than a full free teaching lesson. Describe anything that would help you participate: larger text, written instructions before listening, time to process a question or shorter activities with breaks. Agree the adjustments with the individual tutor.

A useful check of fit is whether you understand what the first paid lesson will address and why. Ask how corrections will be handled: for example, stopping to clarify a new sentence pattern, then letting you finish a short conversation before reviewing other mistakes.

From your first enquiry to a useful lesson routine

Latimer offers one-to-one tuition with an online-first approach. Use the matching request to explain your Japanese goal, or contact a tutor through their profile.

  1. Give a concrete starting point

    Include your goal, learner age where relevant, any course or JLPT level, UK lesson times and budget. A sample of recent work or a description such as “I can read hiragana but cannot follow a short reply” is more useful than a level label alone.

  2. Agree the first lesson

    Choose a small task to work on and settle the platform, lesson length and schedule. If you are studying for a qualification, share the specification and teacher feedback. Agree what you should bring and what practice is realistic between sessions.

  3. Return to the skill after practice

    Keep the first attempt and correction. At a later lesson, try a similar task with one new detail and less help: a different introduction, an unfamiliar short message or another question of the same exam type. Use what still needs prompting to decide the next task.

Compare the cost of a workable learning plan

Tutors set their own rates, so check the current price on the profile and confirm the lesson length before booking. Latimer uses pay-as-you-go billing. Making a matching request is free.

Compare the total cost of the lesson pattern you can sustain, including any materials you agree to buy. Ask which resources are needed, which can be accessed freely and what feedback or practice review is included in the arrangement. The Japan Foundation’s Irodori Starter has downloadable beginner lessons and audio you can discuss with your tutor.

For a busy learner, a manageable plan might revisit one conversation and a small set of words between lessons. Agree the amount of work with the tutor and adjust it when it is consistently unfinished, rather than collecting more exercises than you can use.

Next step

Support and clarity

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.

Do I need to learn the Japanese scripts before starting lessons?

You can start with spoken Japanese and a little reading together. Ask the tutor to introduce the characters used in your first words, with pronunciation and meaning alongside them. Romanisation can help you access an early example; gradually covering it gives you a way to practise recognising the Japanese itself. The balance should reflect whether your immediate goal is conversation, reading or a particular course.

How often should I have Japanese lessons?

Choose a frequency you can sustain alongside independent practice. Discuss your starting point, any real deadline and the time you can spend listening, reading or speaking between sessions. Agree a review point and a task you want to complete with less help. There is no single lesson count to promise fluency: someone starting from zero and someone developing existing spoken Japanese need different plans.

What should I arrange for a child learning Japanese online?

Discuss the child’s age and interests, who will help them join the call, and how you will hear about the work set. Agree adult supervision and communication arrangements before lessons begin. Ask how the tutor will switch between listening, speaking and short writing tasks, and mention any reading, attention or sensory needs. Use the parent guide linked below to prepare questions about online tutoring safety.

Can I combine online Japanese lessons with in-person lessons?

Latimer’s service is online-first. In-person or mixed arrangements need to be agreed individually with a tutor. If that matters to you, include the location, travel limits and preferred balance in your enquiry. For online sessions, plan how you will share paper-based work; for any change of format, agree how notes and practice tasks will carry over.

Further information

Useful links and resources

Related tutor pages

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