loved my time here! super kind senseis. Lessons are easy to replace if you arent able to make it for yours. 🥰 …
Sam Lee
3
Updated my review of teachers at basic level after talking with friends:
Ms Yamasaki - energetic and fun, young energy. Great teacher. A lot of pair work in her class.
Ms Iinuma - does not speak with confidence, feels like she is overwhelmed in a big class.
Ms Ito N - structured and clean but low energy. Around hour 2 you will start to die.
Ms Takezaki - “ok but a bit dead inside” is how my friend put it
Ms Hirao - Lovely lady. Organised and energetic. She does not like questions but she will answer nicely. A lot of time spent writing answers (20-30 mins). Great teacher.
Ms Nakzawa - the energy is off the walls. Great teacher. Sound effects 10/10. Memorable break down of rules.
they intentionally break down 1 chapter into 2 lessons, the progress is slow. if you do not mind paying more money to learn things repetitively (for me it is useful) i think the materials are amazing. they really put effort into flashcards and repetitive learning.
Sam
5
Studied here for close to 5 years (Japanese class, once-a-week), under 3 different teachers. All teachers are native Japanese. Staff are friendly and helpful. Classes are very structured and taught completely in Japanese. One very good point about Ikoma is that you can usually request for replacement class if you are unable to attend your usual timeslot class (e.g. if your class is on Mon weekly and you cannot participate on a certain Mon, you can inform the school to attend another day such as Tue or Wed for that week).
I feel that in general, there is heavy emphasis on theory over conversational.
Olivia
5
I’ve finished Basic level with Uematsu Sensei, Oyama Sensei & Yamashita Sensei.
Ikoma was recommended by many including my friend, and I definitely can see why after attending lessons here.
Firstly, the reception counter is super responsive. Scheduling make-up lessons is fast and easy.
Secondly, Sensei knows basic English but will speak in (relatable) basic Japanese, giving me many opportunities to practice listening and speaking.
Thirdly, the pace is quite fast but not too fast that I can’t catch up or feel discouraged. Instead, I feel I have enough material to take home and revise every week, and it doesn’t feel draggy or boring.
The vibe/environment differs from class to class depending on students and teacher, so it might be good to hop around and have a feel.
I really enjoy learning Japanese at Ikoma and will recommend it to anyone considering learning Japanese. :)
Claire Apple
5
Taking lessons here now - and I highly recommend it! The classes are not cheap but I assure you it’s very worth the money. The teachers are highly competent and excellent and the school is at such a convenient location. Whether or not you’re a beginner or advanced learner - you can’t go wrong with learning japanese at Ikoma!