I was already in my 60s when a lifelong interest in Japanese literature and movies finally convinced me to try and learn the language. The local Japan-America Society recommended Chika Sugiyama as a tutor; and she quickly showed me how to recognize and use Japanese characters. Within a few weeks we were reading well-known poems together, and she was helping me use simple Japanese to express myself in short essays. Since then weve gone on write original haiku and started practicing calligraphy. Whether you what to read Japanese classics or the latest manga, follow the lyrics of J-pop songs, or learn how to travel smart and live well on a tight budget in Japan, Chika san can help you –just as she has helped me.

A great language teacher! She will work with you by custom tailoring the lessons to fit your individual learning style! I have been learning Japanese from her for a year and a half now and we are covering conversational Japanese as well as writing and reading.I began learning Japanese in the hopes of one day getting to travel to the country as the culture (traditional and pop) has fascinated me for years since I first got into anime and video games as a child.As an adult, I finally buckled down and sought out proper instruction for learning to read, write and speak the language and was introduced to Chika-sensei via a mutual friend. Since then, it has been a long road of learning, but sensei makes it so much fun and challenges me to become better Every step of the way. I especially love being able to learn more about cultural norms as we progress through the lessons. I import a lot of reading and gaming material now in the hopes of using said material as study aids.Rosetta Stone and other self-learning tools are good… But when you sit with an instructor that knows the language natively and get one-on-one support, you really can’t go wrong! If you want to learn Japanese, Chika is your best bet!

みなさん、こんにちは!Earlier this year I too was searching for a place to learn Japanese that was not boring and that would be willing to teach me at my own pace. After searching Google links for some time, I came across Learn Japans yelp page and read the reviews. I checked out the website and decided to contact owner, Chika Sugiyama. She responded to my email immediately.After corresponding some and talking on the phone about my schedule and goals of learning Japanese, it was not long before we met for my first lesson. That was only a few months ago, and I have learned so much. I went from not speaking much Japanese at all, to having a strong grasp on general conversation skills and grammar. This was all within a few months of meeting once a week.Chika is an AMAZING teacher who makes you feel comfortable, is patient and very flexible. I find myself very excited to meet for our weekly lessons, and I have lot of fun learning! I even made a new Yelp account just so I could share my experience. So I hope everyone that reads this review will decide to check out Sugiyama-sensei! Thanks for reading, best of luck with your studies.みなさん、どうもありがとうございます。杉山さんはとても面白くて、本当にすごいです～がんばって !　(: