New to Japan
- Greetings and school routines
- Asking for help
- Friends and play
- Shops, trains, everyday situations
- Basic sentence patterns
- Listening confidence
Japanese for children · One-to-one
Japanese that grows with
your child's life in Japan.
One-to-one Japanese support for international-school and expat children. From first words and everyday conversation to reading, writing and kanji, lessons follow what your child needs now and change as they grow.
- One-to-one
- Online
- Tokyo in person where available
- Ongoing support
Living in Japan does not mean Japanese develops automatically.
"My child understands more than they can say."
They follow everyday Japanese but hesitate when it is time to answer.
"They can speak, but reading and kanji are much harder."
Conversation and literacy have grown at different speeds.
"Japanese class at school does not quite match their level."
It may move too fast, too slowly, or work on a different skill.
"We want Japanese to keep growing while they live here."
You want more than survival Japanese, and for it to last.
Japanese can develop at different speeds.
A child can be confident talking with friends and still struggle to read. Another may know hiragana and kanji but find real conversation difficult. Instead of giving every child one "level", we first look at where Japanese is already working and where it is getting harder.
What we look at first
Spoken
- SpeakingCan they say what they mean, to friends and adults?
- ListeningDo they follow everyday talk, and class talk?
Written
- Hiragana / KatakanaCan they read and write the kana comfortably?
- KanjiHow many do they recognise, and can they write them?
- ReadingWhat can they read on their own?
- WritingCan they put sentences together on paper?
In daily life
- School JapaneseDo they have the words that classes use?
- Everyday JapaneseCan they manage shops, clubs, friends, neighbours?
This is a conversation, not a test or a score. It shows us what to work on first.
Different children need different Japanese.
Conversation is ahead of reading and writing
- Hiragana, katakana and kanji
- Reading aloud
- Age-appropriate texts
- Writing sentences
- Growing vocabulary
Japanese class at an international school
- Using your school's materials
- Reviewing vocabulary
- Reading and writing
- Test preparation
- Filling gaps the class cannot stop to revisit
We support the learning. We do not do the homework.
Japanese is part of everyday life
- Broader vocabulary
- Reading for their age
- Kanji
- Written expression
- More natural conversation
These are examples, not fixed programmes. Lessons are adjusted to the child's current needs rather than placing every child into the same sequence.
Not a two-week course. Support that can stay with your child.
Every format below suits some families. Here is when each one makes sense.
Group or school Japanese class
Good when Your child benefits from classmates, a shared curriculum suits them, and the timetable works.
Short intensive course
Good when You have a specific window, such as a holiday, and want a burst of study.
Tutor marketplace
Good when You want to choose and manage tutors yourself, and the widest choice matters most.
Petra
Good when You want ongoing support, your child's skills are uneven, the focus will need to change, and you want tutor fit and clear updates. We also help keep lessons continuous rather than leaving you to book each one alone.
Petra is not always the better choice. If one of the others fits your family better, use it.
The right Japanese tutor depends on the child.
We do not assume that anyone who speaks Japanese can teach it to a child. When you tell us about your child, we look at what the lessons need, then check whether we have a suitable tutor.
- Age
- Current Japanese
- School
- Family languages
- Whether explanations in English are needed
- Speaking or literacy focus
- Teaching style and personality
- Online or in person
- Schedule and location
- Long-term fit
Availability varies. If we do not have a suitable tutor for your child, we will say so.
Meet Petra tutors →As your child's Japanese changes, the lessons can change too.
Start with what they need now
Conversation, kana, reading or school Japanese.
Work regularly
Regular one-to-one lessons build continuity.
Make progress visible
Where our lesson reports apply: what was practised, what is getting easier, where support is still needed, and what comes next.
Adjust the focus
When something is working, move on. When something is not, change the approach.
Focus often moves from
- conversation to reading
- kana to kanji
- basic sentences to written expression
- everyday Japanese to school Japanese
The continuity comes from how Petra supports your child over time. We cannot promise the same tutor for years. If a change is ever needed, we will talk it through with you.
Online, with Tokyo in-person support where a suitable tutor is available.
- Online
- A good fit for regular weekly lessons and busy school timetables.
- In person
- May be possible in parts of Tokyo, depending on area, tutor fit and schedule.
- Pricing
- Pricing depends on the tutor, lesson content and format. We will confirm the available options before you decide.
Questions parents
often ask.
If your question is not here, just ask us.
My child speaks almost no Japanese. Can they start?
Yes, where an appropriate tutor is available. We begin with practical language for your child's age, such as greetings, school routines and asking for help, rather than assuming any prior knowledge.
My child can speak Japanese but cannot read kanji well. Can you focus on literacy?
Yes. The focus can be different for speaking, reading and writing, so lessons can concentrate on kana, kanji and reading while conversation continues in the background.
Can you use the Japanese materials from our international school?
Where appropriate, yes. Please share the relevant materials so the tutor can see your child's current level and what the class is covering.
Can lessons be explained in English?
It depends on the tutor. If English explanations matter for your child, tell us and we will treat it as a requirement when we look for a match.
Is this only for beginners?
No. It also suits children who already communicate in Japanese but want stronger reading, writing, kanji or vocabulary for their age.
Can we continue for the long term?
Yes. Petra's regular tutoring is built around ongoing lessons, and the focus can change as your child's needs change. Exact scheduling and tutor continuity depend on availability.
Can you help with homework from a Japanese school?
Possibly, depending on the content and the tutor. Tell us what your child is working on. This page is about building Japanese itself, so it is not a general service for every subject taught in Japanese.
Do you prepare for the JLPT?
If your child has a specific exam goal, let us know and we will first check whether a suitable tutor is available. This service is mainly about the Japanese your child needs for everyday life, reading and writing, and school.
Tell us what Japanese looks like
for your child right now.
They may be starting from first words, speaking comfortably but struggling with kanji, or needing more support with Japanese at school. Tell us where they are now and what you would like Japanese to become part of.
Ask about Japanese supportChat with us on LINE
No pressure. We will reply with what we can offer and what we cannot.