Japanese Language Courses
Learn to speak Japanese to prepare for travel or to reconnect with family and friends. We offer classes, interactive workshops and private tutoring to help students of all levels learn to speak about their hobbies, travel plans, pop culture and work. By learning from a native speaker you will also develop cultural awareness of Japanese values and common communication practices.
Fall 2025
Japanese Travel Essentials Saturdays 10-11:30am Nov 1, 8, 15, 22
Introductory Japanese I Tuesdays/Thursdays 6:15-7:15pm Sept 30 – Nov 20
California Rolls & Miso Workshop Sunday 4:30-6:30pm Oct 5
Gyoza (Japanese Potstickers) Workshop Sunday 4:30-6:30pm Oct 26
Winter 2026
Japanese Travel Essentials Saturdays 10-11:30am Feb 7, 14, 21, 28
Introductory Japanese I Tuesdays/Thursdays 4:30-5:30pm Jan 6 – Feb 26
Japanese II Tuesdays/Thursdays 6-7pm Jan 6 – Feb 26
Japanese Travel Essentials
In this course, students will learn the essentials for conversational Japanese to prepare for an upcoming trip. Each session will cover a new topic including basic greetings, ordering food, purchasing gifts, asking simple questions at a hotel and more. The course is designed for beginners to the Japanese language who are looking for ease when traveling. Students will read Romanized characters (Romaji) only, so they are not required to learn to read and write in Japanese, but they will gain the basic knowledge of how to pronounce words in Japanese. This class is designed for adults and youth ages 15 and up, however youth are welcome to join if they are accompanied by an adult.
Sessions – Fall 2025
Japanese Travel Essentials will meet this fall on Saturdays from 10-11:30am on November 1, 8, 15, and 22 at our institute.
Sessions – Winter 2026
Japanese Travel Essentials will meet this winter on Saturdays from 10-11:30am on February 7, 14, 21 and 28 at our institute.
Introductory Japanese I
The goal of this Japanese course is to introduce the fundamentals of the sound systems, one of the three: 46 letters of Hiragana, some Kanji, vocabulary and basic phrases for everyday situations. It is designed for people new to the Japanese language and those who are looking into relearn. Students will learn proper greetings, counting, time, calendar, verb conjugations, locations and more. This class is designed for adults and youth ages 15 and older.
Sessions – Winter 2026
Introductory Japanese I will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-5:30pm from January 6 – February 26 at our institute. This course is limited to 10 people so be sure to register in advance. If you have any questions about the course, please call us at 541-728-3022 or email us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com and we would be happy to help!
Japanese II
The goal of this Japanese course is to help students learn 46 letters of Katakana and more Kanji, start learning more conversational phrases for everyday situations. Students will review present and past verb conjugation and learn descriptions of people, food, activity planning and more. The class is designed for adults and youth age 15 and older who have studied Japanese, using the first half of Genki textbook previously or equivalent and able to read and write 46 Hiragana.
Sessions – Winter 2026
Japanese II will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-7pm from January 6 – February 26 at our institute. This course is limited to 10 people so be sure to register in advance. You can give us a call at 541-728-3022 or email us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com and we will be happy to help with any questions.
Japanese III
In Japanese III, students will expand their conversation. This course is designed for adults and youth age 15 and older who are able to read and write Hiragana and Katakana. The focus is to be able to have proper conversation in Japanese, using correct verb conjugation, adjectives, adverbs, articles and so on. Each session will cover a new topic, food, travel, geography, history and more.
Sessions
Japanese III will be offered again in Spring 2026. Please check back for more details. If you think this course may be a good fit for you, please call us at 541-728-3022 or email us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com and we will be happy to help.
California Rolls and Miso Soup Workshop
Sushi rolls are called “nori maki” which means seaweed rolls. California rolls are not known in Japan, but they were invented by a Japanese chef in US. You are going to learn how to make sushi rice and make sushi rolls. We use red miso, tofu and green onions for miso soup. This will be a fun, interactive workshop where you can practice basic Japanese phrases while learning about popular dishes! Allergies: soy, fish
Sessions – Fall 2025
This workshop will meet on Sunday, October 5 from 4:30-6:30pm. This course is limited to 10 people so be sure to register in advance. Contact us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or give us a call at 541-728-3022 if you have any questions.
Gyoza Workshop
Gyoza was originally came from the northern part of China. In Japan, gyoza became a side dish accompanied with a bowl of rice or ramen. The wrappers are thin and stuffed with lots of vegetables. In this workshop you will learn basic Japanese phrases while having fun making a new dish!
Sessions – Fall 2025
This workshop will meet on Sunday, October 26 from 4:30-6:30pm. This course is limited to 10 people so be sure to register in advance. Contact us at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or give us a call at 541-728-3022 if you have any questions.
Individual Tutoring
Private tutoring with an experienced teacher can help you improve your language skills while working around your schedule. We offer both in-person and remote one-on-one lessons to help you meet your language learning needs. Our language tutoring rate is $55 dollars per hour, and when you purchase your time in advance you can reduce that rate down to $50 per hour.
We also offer semi-private tutoring for 2-3 youth and/or adults at an affordable price, so you can have fun learning with your friends. If this is something that would interest you, contact us and we will be happy to arrange this. You can see more about small group tutoring here: https://bendlanguageinstitute.com/product/small-group-private-lessons/
If you are new to Bend Language Institute, just send us an email at bendlanguageinstitute@gmail.com or give us a call at 541-728-3022 and we will be happy to put you in touch with a local teacher to discuss your language level and interests.
I was born and raised in Japan. After studying and working in Tokyo, I came to US to complete my BA in Spanish and International Affairs. I ended up extending my stay get an MBA. After that, I got a job at Sony in San Jose, CA where I supported R&D using English and Japanese for 15 years. Once I moved to Bend with my family, I started teaching at the High Desert Museum and Bend Parks and Rec. I have been a sub for Bend-La Pine Schools for several years and recently became a middle school Japanese Teacher. I have a passion for traveling and trying different foods from places such as the Amazon, Chile, Belize, Spain, and Italy. Despite being away from Japan, I manage to visit numerous times, still maintaining close relationships with my family. Since I have learned a variety of different languages other than Japanese, I would love to demonstrate different ways of learning Japanese to make the experience more fun and enjoyable.
Quick Apply: Leave your email and we’ll help you get started.
Become Part of the BLI Experience
