Japanese lessons (NEW SEMESTER+VERB MASTERCLASS).
Dear fellow language learners,
I am happy to announce that a new semester of Japanese reading lessons will begin next month, starting August 18th. In addition to the regular semester, I will also host the second iteration of my verb masterclass on August 16th and 17th, in which you learn all about verbs and their conjugations. This message contains all the info on how to apply for both the new semester and the masterclass.
Meet your teacher
For those of you who are new here, a quick self introduction: Hi! I’m Bunsuke, a Dutch native who has dedicated over 20 years of his life to studying Japanese language and literature. My academic journey has taken me across three continents, allowing me to study in Europe (BA/MA, Leiden University), Japan (MA, Waseda University), and the United States (MA, Columbia University). Last year, I received my Ph.D. in Japanese literature, specializing in late 19th and early 20th century fiction.
Beyond my own research, I have a deep passion for teaching. I love seeing the aha! moment when a difficult concept finally clicks in my students. By breaking down complex sentences into manageable pieces, I’ll help you see that reading Japanese is more achievable than you thought. I know first hand that studying this language is a long and often frustrating process with more downs than ups. But I’m here to guide you through the intricacies and complexities and equip you with the tools you need to become a more confident, independent reader.
Are these lessons for me?
Group lessons are designed for advanced beginners and above. By ‘advanced beginner,’ I mean you can read through a text like this or this with relative ease. It’s okay if you don’t know every word, grammar point, or kanji, but you shouldn’t feel completely out of your depth.
My goal is to provide a relaxed learning environment that empowers you to pick up a Japanese book with confidence. I know that this is a major hurdle for many learners, but I promise, it’s not as insurmountable as it seems. My most valuable experience in Japan was working one-on-one with my professor, analyzing texts, asking questions freely, while reflecting on the content and language together and discovering resources to deepen my understanding. This is the kind of experience I aim to recreate in my teaching - guiding rather than directing, passing along knowledge, and sharing the tools and methods that helped me along my own language learning journey.
By the end of the semester, you’ll feel more confident in your reading abilities and, most importantly, actually enjoy reading in Japanese!
Group lessons:
First, about the new semester. Since all private lesson slots are still full (thanks to all of you who continue to book these slots!), I only have availability in my group lessons. Over the past years, we’ve built an amazing community of learners. Our members contribute to an open and constructive atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable to ask questions - no matter how basic or detailed - and make mistakes as we work together toward our shared goal of understanding the text.
There are two groups to chose from. See below for details.
About the group lessons:
10x 55-minute lessons (via Zoom)
Interactive group setting to level up your Japanese reading skills
Modern and contemporary literary works (scans provided)
Fixed curriculum (texts handpicked by me)
Max. 10 people per group
Price: €425 per person (for 10 lessons)
Schedule:
Since this semester will be taught from Japan, all times below are listed in Japan local time. The semester spans a total of 12 weeks: 10 sessions and 2 breaks in between. The dates are as follows:
Session 1: August 18-24
Session 2: August 25-31
Session 3: September 1-7
Session 4: September 8-14
BREAK: September 15-21
Session 5: September 22-28
Session 6: September 29-October 5
Session 7: October 6-12
Session 8: October 13-19
BREAK: October 20-26
Session 9: October 27-November 2
Session 10: November 3-9
NOTE: The semester includes a shift in daylight savings, turning the clock backward by one hour in many places at different moments around the globe (Japan does not change time). As I work with people from different time zones, the schedule will always follow my own timezone (Tokyo, Japan). This means that you will have to accommodate any shifts from summer to winter time on your end. Please take this into account when checking your schedule.
GROUP I: Monday 7.00-7.55 am, Japan time (Sunday afternoon in the Americas)
GROUP II: Sunday 9.00-9.55 pm, Japan time (Sunday morning in the Americas, afternoon in the EU)
VERB MASTERCLASS
Separately from the regular lessons, I will also organize a 2,5 hour verb masterclass. In this second iteration of the masterclass I offer an extensive overview of conjugations of verbs and adjectives, as well as auxiliary verbs (passive, causative, politeness, etc.), and show you how to combine them with verb stems/inflections. The offer includes a completely revised and expanded handout that serves as a handy overview of what is discussed during the masterclass and includes exercises and cheat sheets.
To accommodate more time zones, the masterclass takes place twice:
August 16th (Saturday) at 6.00-8.30 pm, Japan time.
August 17th (Sunday) at 7.00-9.30 am, Japan time.
Those of you who book a combination of group lessons and the verb masterclass will receive a discount on the masterclass, which I offer in three tiers:
Tier 1: One-off participation + handout 149EU (separate price 199EU)
Tier 2: Same as Tier 1 + 1-month access to a Zoom recording of the masterclass 199EU (separate price 249EU)
Tier 3: Same as Tier 2 + lifetime access to updated handouts and any future digitized iterations of the masterclass 249EU (separate price 349EU)
HOW TO APPLY
Policy:
No refunds once a payment is made.
No rescheduling for missed classes. If you miss a lesson, you cannot make it up later or switch groups without prior consultation.
If I have to cancel a session on my end, it will be rescheduled.
APPLY TODAY!
Reply to this email and introduce yourself! I’d love to hear about your background as a Japanese language learner and what you hope to gain from these lessons.
Let me know which group you’d like to join (Group I or Group II) and/or which Masterclass day (16 or 17 August) at which tier (tier 1, 2 or 3).
Once we finalize your lessons package, you’ll be sent an invoice with a payment link. Your enrollment is confirmed once the payment is received. Spots tend to fill up fast, so make sure to secure yours promptly!
If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this email.
Looking forward to hearing from you and working with you from August!
Yours,
Bunsuke