A Native Japanese Top Pro on Thumbtack! Over 300 positive reviews for 10 years. You can learn about the Japanese cultural background and communication contexts. I have a BBA and an MBA from NYC.

I worked with Sakura for quite a few weeks and had a positive experience! Sakura provided a strong foundation and lessons for me to understand the complex nature of the Japanese language. For those wanting to learn all there is, start here!

I’ve been studying with Sakura Sensei for about 1.5 years and I can confidently say that because of her, I’m grown and learned so much in a short amount of time. She’s patient and will encourage you to keep going. She also teaches textbook information, but also has shared a wealth if knowledge the textbook won’t teach you — such as how to sound more natural in conversation. Would definitely recommend!

Sakura sensei is a patient and thoughtful instructor. She is flexible with the pace of our lessons and adjusts her teaching to match my progress and availability, which I really appreciate since life doesn’t always allow for a consistent schedule.

She explains not only the language itself, but also the reasoning behind grammar and the cultural context that gives Japanese its meaning. That has helped me better understand both the language and the relationships it reflects.

She also encourages me to speak, even when I’m hesitant, and has helped me become more comfortable using Japanese. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a supportive and knowledgeable teacher.

Great teacher that provides lots of knowledge about the Japanese language but the culture as well. She tailors the class to your needs and any necessary focus requested. I highly recommend her.

We’ve been studying Japanese with Ryuzaki sensei for about a year, and it’s been a really positive experience. She’s patient and explains things clearly without rushing. I also like that she doesn’t only stick to the textbook—she shares real-life examples and cultural insights that help the lessons feel more practical. We’ve learned a lot and I’d definitely recommend Ryuzaki sensei.

I have been studying under Sakura Sensei for over a year. Her teaching has been a tremendous help in my Japanese studies.

Thanks to her guidance, I have greatly improved my Japanese conversational skills. I was even able to travel to Japan and communicate comfortably with local residents.

With her support, I also passed the JLPT N5 exam last year. I highly recommend Sakura Sensei to anyone who wants to improve their Japanese language skills.

I have been taking lessons with Sakura-sensei weekly. Thanks to her I have passed my N5 exams and will soon be able to pass my N4. Sakura-sensei is a patient and diligent teacher using a wide approach to learning. I highly recommend.

Sakura was my first online tutor and my first Japanese teacher. She was so patient and just the right amount of strict to keep me on track even when I felt unmotivated. She was so flexible with material too as I was expecting friends from Japan to visit and asked specifically for customs and phrases/vocabulary I would need to host them for our dinner. I have since used everything she taught me!

Sakura is great at teaching Japanese and helping understand the material. She is patient and understanding of where you are at with your knowledge. I highly recommend her to anyone trying to learn the language.

Hi! Sakura is my Japanese teacher and I have been in her class for 1.5 years. She has taught me a lot and has been very patient with me, I’m not really a fast learner but she always pushes me to be better. I really enjoy her class and it has helped me better understand the language. She’ll teach real life scenarios that the textbook won’t tell you and I think that is very helpful.

I have been taking lessons from Sakura-sensei for almost a year. If you want to actually speak real Japanese, and if you want to know where textbooks and other methods have been Americanized and aren’t actually accurate to the way native Japanese speak, then Sakura-sensei is the person you want. She will work with you through the usual textbooks but will explain everything in detail. I studied the Genki textbooks when I took Japanese in college many years ago, and I have learned so much more deeply than I did before by having her as a teacher. I highly recommend her.

Sakura is amazing. She helped my friend and I get ready for the JLPT exams and worked with us for two years. I would highly recommend her.

Sensei is the best teacher. Right from the jump you can tell she really cares about the work she does and the progress her students make. She is also very patient and always willing to slow down if necessary. She’s really the best and I love learning from her!

Sakura Sensei is an amazing teacher, she helped me pass my JLPT 5 exam. She also helped me prepare for all my Japan trips. I highly recommend Sakura Sensei.

I have been studying Japanese for over two years. Sakura was my first teacher, and we have been together all this time. I would not be where I am now without her help. I have studied at a language school in Japan, and worked with several teachers, and I still consider Sakura to be the best teacher. I would recommend her to anyone studying Japanese, either beginner or advanced.

I have worked with Sakura Sensei for almost 5 months now, and can confidently say she is an amazing teacher for learning Japanese. She is very kind, patient, and helps you through important points. She also makes sure you get it right properly and teaches you etiquette beyond what a book will offer. If you are a beginner, just join her classes. 100% recommend!

I have been a student of Sakura for over a year now. She is always on time and well prepared for every lesson. We not only go over grammar, but also spend time practicing speaking and reviewing the material we just covered. She is also very helpful in teaching Japanese culture, which makes the lessons even more engaging and practical.

I took classes with Sakura sensei for about 4 years. She personalizes a structure and learning plan to help make studying Japanese easier and more efficient. She was able to take my Japanese from just a few known words, to being able to understand difficult grammar and hold conversations with native Japanese speakers.

I highly recommend Sakura-sensei for Japanese lessons. I took lessons from her for a few years, starting with taking N4 until passing N2 in December of 2025.

Sakura-sensei is very thorough at covering the JLPT exam materials but she is also very kind, knowledgeable, and fun to talk to!

I had Sakura as a teacher at the start of my Japanese journey a few years ago. She's the type of tutor to really get you focused on learning through the culture of Japan and is highly motivated to help you. One of the reasons why I have the fundamentals and study to this day is that I had someone like Sakura to keep me focused. She really showed me what I can do with Japanese and the benefits of using the language to connect with others. I would highly recommend her lessons!