About us:

We are a group of professional Japanese teachers working as a team called Asao Language School.

We provide quality-learning experience to Japanese learners of various levels, professional backgrounds, nationalities, first languages and age groups with their individual study goals both in person and online.

All of us are native Japanese speakers with extensive teaching experience both in Japan and abroad.

We specialize in teaching Conversational Japanese, General Japanese, Academic Japanese, Exam Preparation and Business Japanese.

We originally come from various professional backgrounds, such as Engineering, IT, Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Design, Art, Education, Medical, Retail, Pharmaceutical, Translation, Tourism, Editorial, Journalism, Music, Food and so on.

We are passionate about what we do and hope that our assistance provides additional contributions to your Japanese study :)

Lesson time and locations:

We provide lessons both in person and online from 08:00 to 22:00 from Monday to Sunday including public holidays.

Our lessons in person take place at our classrooms in Shin-Yurigaoka (within a 3 minutes' walk from North Gate), in Shinjuku (within a 2 minutes' walk from JR Shinjuku South Gate) and at the locations of your choice in the Kanto region as well as online.

Lessons in person outside our classrooms can be held at public places, rental private spaces and offices at your preferred location.

Teaching methodology:

In our lessons, we apply interactive teaching methodologies. Our lesson plans are specifically tailored to fit your academic needs.

Please feel free to let us know your questions and requests anytime. Our biggest priority is always to focus on your needs in each lesson.

We generally use Direct Method in our lessons. However, if requested, other languages, e.g. English, Mandarin, French can be used supplementarily.

Lesson Style and Structure:

We apply a communicative approach to maximise the amount of time you are outputting in lessons. Our teaching style is interactive and we always make sure that our lessons are fun, engaging and relaxing but professional and results oriented at the same time.

A 60-minute Private Lesson typically consists of a grammar lesson, speaking and listening practice while new vocabulary, idioms and expressions are introduced throughout the lesson.

A sample 60-minute lesson structure is as followed:

0 - 20 minutes:

Catch-up, Welcome general questions and Check homework

20 - 50 minutes:

Review and Work on new topics

50 - 60 minutes:

Welcome questions again

We are often requested to focus on improving your speaking and listening skills. However, we also recognize that looking into reading and writing tasks is equally important for your fluency progress.

For Whom:

Our Lessons cover various proficiency levels, from Japanese for everyday usage to JLPT Preparation and Business Japanese.

Students, families, expats, international assignees and corporate personnel as well as those who wish to supplement their current lessons at other institutions are welcome.

Lesson fees (tax included):

In person in Shin-Yurigaoka and Shinjuku:

A 60 minute Private Lesson (1 to 1) is JPY 3950

A 90 minute Private Lesson (1 to 1) is JPY 5700

A 120 minute Private Lesson (1 to 1) is JPY 7600

A 60 minute Semi Private Lesson (1 to 2 or 1 to 3) is JPY 2000 per person

A 90 minute Semi Private Lesson (1 to 2 or 1 to 3) is JPY 3000 per person

A 120 minute Semi Private Lesson (1 to 2 or 1 to 3) is JPY 4000 per person

Having lessons outside our classrooms will require additional fees of 500 yen per day as the teacher's round trip transportation cost. Calculating from Shinjuku, if the transportation costs exceed 500 yen to reach the lesson location, actual expense will apply.

Online:

A 60 minute Private Lesson (1 to 1) is JPY 2450

A 90 minute Private Lesson (1 to 1) is JPY 3300

A 120 minute Private Lesson (1 to 1) is JPY 4400

A 60 minute Semi Private Lesson (1 to 2 or 1 to 3) is JPY 1300 per person

A 90 minute Semi Private Lesson (1 to 2 or 1 to 3) is JPY 1950 per person

A 120 minute Semi Private Lesson (1 to 2 or 1 to 3) is JPY 2600 per person

No additional fees, e.g. registration fee, course textbook and materials fees.

(Semi-Private lessons are available for those wish to study with their partner, family and colleagues, providing their purpose of learning and their current Japanese levels are the same.)

Please kindly make sure to read through our Terms and Conditions below and if you have questions, please let us know.

Please note that booking lessons with us requires advance payment from the first lesson and we accept bank wire transfer, credit card payment online, Gennkinnkakitome, PayPal and cash. Your booking(s) will be confirmed when we confirm receipt of your payment first.

(If you prefer cash payment, there is minimum payment requirement of 10000 yen.)

We accept single payment for multiple bookings, all bank charges are the responsibility of the sender and once made, fees are not refundable and not transferrable to others, e.g. family members and friends.

When we confirm receipt of your payment and therefore your booking(s), subsequently, we will forward you the contact details of your teacher.

If we cannot confirm receipt of your payment by 24 hours prior to the pre-scheduled commencement of the lesson(s), the pre-scheduled lesson(s) will be cancelled without notice. Please note that domestic fund transfer requests submitted after 14:30 (JST) on business days and on weekends or holidays will be processed on the following business day.

Regarding our cancellation and rescheduling policy, please note that we ask you to email us at the latest by 24 hours prior to the scheduled commencement of the lesson(s) in order so that we can save your credit for the lesson(s). We will then schedule a make-up lesson for a time and a date that are mutually convenient with you and the teacher and the previously saved credit will be used on the lesson.

However, cancellations made less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled commencement of the lesson(s) and no shows are both charged at 100% of the credit, unless your reason for cancellation meets our Extenuating Circumstances Policy.

In certain circumstances, we accept payments to be made less than 24 prior to the scheduled commencement of the lesson(s). In which cases, once we confirm your booking, cancellation is not possible.

Please also note that, without informing us in advance, if you fail to make it to the pre-agreed meeting point on time, after 15 minutes following the commencement of the lesson, your teacher reserves the right to leave the location and the credit shall not be refunded. In cases where your medical condition makes it impossible to attend the scheduled lesson and if this condition existed but was not advised at the time of the booking, no refund will also be given.

Notice of cancellation and rescheduling must be emailed to asaolanguage@gmail.com and it will be applied from the time and date it is received by us.

If in cases where your teacher fail to meet you at the designated meeting point on time, without informing you in advance, after 15 minutes following the commencement of the lesson, you also reserve the right to leave the location and the credit shall not be charged.

Also, if we send you a cancellation request less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled commencement of the lesson(s), your credit shall not be charged either and the teacher will be teaching the next lesson for free of charge.

Please note that Asao Language School reserves the right to change, without notice, our Terms and Conditions at anytime. If we do not enforce any condition of these Terms and Conditions or we delay in enforcing it, this will not prevent us from retrospectively enforcing the condition and will not constitute a waiver of that condition. Asao Language School also reserves the right to refuse bookings.

"What types of study materials are used?"

In the initial lesson(s), we usually discuss in detail what approach to take in order to achieve your short term and long term study goals. Depending on your requests, we will suggest different lesson structures with a variety of textbooks and study materials. Alternatively, we can take conversation-based approach. Please feel free to let us know your requests anytime.

For us to be fully prepared from the first lesson, please answer the following questions:

Do you have specific requests for your first lesson(s)?

What are your short-term and long-term objectives?

Have you been working on specific reference books or do you have specific study materials that you would like to use in your lessons?

Have you taken or are you planning to take JLPT or BJT anytime soon?

Could you provide us with the history of your Japanese study?

If you have time, please try our Level Check Test.

General_Vol.1:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4htM8YwfoQMP5G2Yqutpo71p94eQuWZQPKQd7OkeknH3slw/viewform

General_Vol.2:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdk9cwrrSwqyx-moEM7TLpLIz_ALCtT_xEHsHE2T1nWhG96fA/viewform

"Can I receive a Student Visa by enrolling at your school?"

No, however, if requested, we will be happy to recommend you some schools whereby you can.

"Do you offer any sort of trial lessons?"

No, we are very sorry we provide neither free/trial lessons nor discounts on our lesson fees. We are a group of professionally trained teachers who are fully committed to assisting you from the first lesson.

"Can the lessons be bought on a one-time basis or in a block of lessons?"

We accept both one-off bookings and block bookings. We may suggest that you book the first lesson individually first in order to get to know the teacher, discuss the lesson structure and short-term and long term goals while trying our sample lesson. We are confident that you will be happy with your first teacher. However, you are also welcome to try as many teachers as you like until you meet a teacher that you would like to continue with.

"Are the lessons always taught by the same teacher(s)?"

Yes, unless requested, the same teacher(s) will be teaching your lessons regularly. If the originally assigned teacher(s) becomes unavailable temporarily, we will arrange a substitute teacher for the time your regular teacher is absent. If the teacher becomes unavailable permanently, we will arrange a new teacher. (Teachers make a lesson progress report after each lesson. Your new teacher will be fully informed in relation to lesson content, structure, teaching strategies and so on in advance. Therefore, the transition of teachers will be processed without problems.) In any case, we will make sure that you can keep your regular schedule. You are also welcome to try and switch to different teachers whenever you like.

"Are the lessons usually booked on the same day and at the same time every week or am I able to schedule them for different days and times?"

Both are possible. If you prefer to schedule each lesson for a different time, date and even for a different location, we will be delighted to arrange that also. However, as our lesson schedule and the availability of our classrooms change on an on-going basis, please let us know well in advance.

"I prefer to pay in cash. Can I pay directly to the teacher on the day?"

No, we are very sorry but booking lessons with us always requires advance payment.

"Is it possible for you to accept international bank transfer for payment?"

Yes, we will forward you our bank account details including SWIFT code.

If you prefer credit card online (Square), please let us know how many lessons you would like to pay for. We will then email you an invoice with a link attached.

If you prefer PayPal, please forward the payment to info@asaolanguage.com.

"Can you provide receipts?"

Yes, please let us know to which name you would like us to make the receipt out.

"If I am running late for the class or cannot go to the class, who should I contact?"

After confirming your booking(s), we will forward you the contact details of your teacher. Please contact your teacher on that number in case of emergency. However, generally, for lesson scheduling, payment and other administrative work, please continue to contact our colleague, Masahiko Kitaya directly. He is in charge of our administrative work.

We are also available for Group Lessons both in person and online.

We also have a community on Discord :)

https://discord.gg/t6NkjmqUE7

Other services such as Mock JLPT online, Dispatch of teachers, Study abroad, Workshops, Marketing / Sales assistance, Interpretation / Translation, Event management, Tour guide, Teacher training, Video production are also available upon request.

For more information, please have a look at our official SNS pages.

https://www.facebook.com/asaolanguage

https://www.instagram.com/asaolanguageschool

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Team Asao