I was born and raised in the charming town of Hokkaido, Japan, surrounded by stunning nature and rich cultural heritage. As a kid, I dreamt of mastering English while soaking up some sunshine—because, let’s face it, Hokkaido winters are no joke! So, in my 20s, I swapped snowflakes for sunshine and jumped on a plane to Sydney.

​

After a few colourful jobs (yes, I’ve packed thousands of capsicums and hundreds of rockmelons in Queensland, and pampered nails in Melbourne), I finally discovered my true passion—teaching Japanese!

​

For nearly a decade, I had the privilege of meeting hundreds of excited learners who shared my love for the Japanese language, culture, food, and all the quirky bits in between at one of the biggest Japanese language schools in Melbourne, Australia.

​

I absolutely love being surrounded by the sound of laughter from my students, the intense focus when they discover something new, and the deep connections we form along the way. There’s nothing more rewarding than celebrating their growth and progress together.

​

But teaching Japanese is more than simply knowing the language and being a native speaker. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes! I spent years learning the craft of teaching, putting in the time, effort, and plenty of trial and error to find better ways to explain, encourage, and make things click. Little by little, I built the knowledge and experience to help my students not just learn Japanese, but really understand and enjoy it.

​

And the journey didn’t stop in the classroom. Along the way, I had the opportunity to train and support new Japanese teachers, sharing the lessons I had learned and helping them find their own feet in the classroom. Seeing them grow into confident teachers became another part of what I love about teaching.

​

Now that I’m a mum of one, I’m ready to turn the page to the next chapter and help even more people start or continue their Japanese language journey.

​

Learning a language can be a bit tricky at times, but who says it has to be boring or complicated? Let’s make it fun and master Japanese together!

​

​

​Asami