Online Japanese FAQs

Nihongo-Pro classrooms are custom built for online Japanese classes, with learning features that Skype chat cannot match:

• ProPad™ helps you learn to write Japanese
• Built-in Japanese-English dictionary
• Large whiteboard for presenting lesson materials
• Teacher-directed audio playback (great for listening comprehension)
• Easy to use, nothing to install. Log in from your browser.

Test drive our classroom here.

See all Nihongo-Pro teachers here.

Private lessons at Nihongo-Pro are fully customized to your needs and goals, ensuring that you will learn Japanese online as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Whether you are studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), learning business Japanese, focusing on written Japanese, or learning Japanese for fun, Nihongo-Pro teachers tailor your private online Japanese lessons to make your learning fast, efficient, and fun.

Typical Skype Lesson

The student or teacher reads from the textbook.

With no whiteboard for lesson materials, the teacher relies on verbal instruction to direct the student.

Limited learning environment means slower learning.

Nihongo-Pro Lesson

Your Nihongo-Pro teacher presents textbook and custom lesson materials on the whiteboard, guiding you just as if you were in a real classroom.

Custom lessons in a custom classroom make your Japanese learning fast and efficient.

Enrollment is free. Enroll for online Japanese lessons.

The Nihongo-Pro classroom works on any Windows or Macintosh PC, Chromebook, iPad, or Android device with these requirements:

• Broadband Internet connection (1 Mb/s download, 0.5 Mb/s upload)
• Headset is recommended
• Webcam is optional, but highly recommended
• iPhone is not supported

No, web cams are optional (but highly recommended) for students. All Nihongo-Pro teachers use a web cam.

Nihongo-Pro accepts PayPal payments, wire transfers, Western Union transfers, checks drawn on a U.S. bank, and money orders.

For quickest service, we recommend PayPal, where a variety of options are available:

• Credit card (no PayPal account is required)
• Electronic transfer from your bank account (verified PayPal account is required)
• E-check (verified PayPal account is required, and takes up to 5 business days to clear)

In the case of wire transfers outside of PayPal, you are responsible for transaction fees. To pay by check, checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Money orders must be in U.S. dollars.

For wire transfer, Western Union transfers, or checks, please contact Nihongo-Pro support for payment details.

Yes. If you have a preferred teacher, let us know when you complete the enrollment form for private lessons.

Or, let us do the work for you. We will match you with one of our experienced Japanese teachers based on your level, goals, and desired lesson times. Your assigned teacher will prepare a customized curriculum for your online lessons, and will instruct all of your private lessons.

If you need more flexibility in private lessons, you can take lessons from two or more teachers, who will work together to prepare a coordinated lesson plan to meet your Japanese language goals.

Learn more about private lessons.

Yes, all Nihongo-Pro lessons require a reservation.

Learn more about private lessons.

Each 50-minute private lesson is US $28 to $35 (depending on how many tickets you buy). You can purchase any number of tickets, from 1 to 100.

Tickets are good for 3 to 12 months from the date of purchase, depending on the number of tickets you buy. After that, if you need more time, you can buy a low-cost extension for unused tickets.

Learn more about private lessons.

The reservation deadline depends on your teacher, and varies from 24 to 48 hours before class.

Learn more about private lessons.

You can cancel a private-lesson reservation until 24 hours before lesson time. After that, the reservation cannot be cancelled.

Learn more about private lessons.

No, we cannot refund a lesson ticket after the cancellation deadline (24 hours before class), even if you could not take the lesson for reasons beyond your control.

Learn more about private lessons.

Our private lessons are customized for each student, so a variety of textbooks are used. You and your teacher will decide which textbook to use during your trial lesson.

Learn more about private lessons.

We recommend Amazon.co.jp.

Amazon.co.jp, Japan’s Amazon, offers virtually any Japanese book at reasonable prices, and ships books worldwide at low rates. Points to keep in mind:

• Amazon.co.jp is one of several Amazon sites; each site (Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.co.jp, etc.) operates separately, and your account at each site is separate.
• Amazon Prime offered at one Amazon site cannot be used at the other sites. Also, Amazon Prime cannot be used for international shipments.
• Used books are available at Amazon.co.jp from third-party sellers; however, most sellers do not ship outside Japan.

If you live outside Japan, here’s how to order a book from Amazon.co.jp:

1. Open the Amazon.co.jp URL your teacher sent you.
   • Many popular Japanese textbooks are series with many different books. Please use the URL your teacher sent you to make sure you get the right book.
2. If the page is in Japanese, click “Would you like to see this page in English? Click here.” Most of the page content will switch to English.
3. Click “Add to Cart”.
4. Click “Proceed to Checkout”. If a message regarding Amazon Prime appears, click “No Thanks”. Amazon Prime cannot be used for shipments outside of Japan.
5. Next, register with Amazon.co.jp. Enter your email address and choose “I am a new customer”. Click “Sign in using our secure server”.
6. Enter your name, email address (again), and choose a password. In the “Name Pronunciation” box, enter your name again. Click Continue.
7. On the shipping address page, click “Add an international address”, and then enter your address.
8. The “Choose your shipping options” page will appear. For international shipments (most countries), AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping is the only option. Click Continue.
9. On the “Select a payment method” page, click “Add a card”, and enter your credit card details. Click Continue to get to the final order review page.
   • The only payment method available outside Japan is a credit card. Making payment at convenience stores is available only inside Japan.
   • US customers: You can pay in dollars or yen. If you pay in yen, your credit card company may charge a foreign transaction fee. The fee can be 5% or more, so buying in dollars is usually a better deal.
10. Review the order details, click “Place your order”, and you’re done. Depending on where you live, the order should arrive 3 to 7 days after the shipping date. For more info, please visit Amazon.co.jp International Shipping.

If you need help finding or ordering a textbook, please contact Nihongo-Pro support.

If you can't see the whole slide during your lesson, there are several ways to make the whiteboard larger, as shown below.

Each teacher has his or her own classroom. All lessons (except trial lessons) are held in that classroom.

At your lesson time, login to Nihongo-Pro as usual (click "Login" on the menu, or login here). A link to your teacher's classroom will appear five minutes before your lesson starts. Click the link to enter the classroom.

If the link does not appear, please login as usual, choose "All Classrooms" from the "Classrooms" menu, and click your teacher's classroom link.

Most computers can display Japanese without any special setup. Follow these instructions to set up your computer so you can enter Japanese text, too. No special equipment (Japanese keyboard, etc.) is needed.

• Choose your computer’s operating system:
  Windows 10
  Windows 8
  Windows 7
  Windows Vista
  Windows XP
  Macintosh OS X
  
• See more tips on Japanese text.

To make the scrollbar visible, follow these steps:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click General.
3. In the Show scroll bars section, click Always. (See picture below.)

• Be sure you have completed the classroom setup.
• Double-check your anti-virus software. Some programs interfere with the classroom.

Your Internet connection may be slow or having problems.

• Make sure any other windows that use the Internet are closed.
• Inside the classroom, try these steps:
  Turn off your camera.

  Turn off your video reception.
• Run these Internet connection tests.

The problem is likely your microphone.

• Check your headset batteries (if any).
• Turn off sound mixers from your computer’s sound control panel.
• Turn off extra microphones.
• Lower your microphone volume.
• If your webcam or computer has a built-in microphone, try using it instead of your headset’s microphone.
• Use a noise-canceling headset (a headset with a built-in noise-canceling microphone) for the best sound quality.

• Make sure the volume (if any) on your headset is turned up.
• Check that the headset is plugged in and the batteries are good (if any).
• Check that your computer’s sound is not muted.
• Log out of the classroom, and log in again.

If you are using iPadOS 15 (the new version released September 2021), please make the following change to your Safari settings:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Safari on the left side.
3. Scroll down on the right side and tap Advanced.
4. Tap Experimental Features on the right side.
5. Find WebRTC Platform UDP Sockets on the right side, and turn it off.
   Don't change WebRTC Platform TCP Sockets.
6. IMPORTANT! Force-quit Safari. The new settings take effect the next time Safari starts.