The 6 Best Online Japanese Tutoring Websites

Learning Japanese but have no-one to practise your speaking skills with? Have you considered finding an online Japanese tutor? Then you need to discover the 6 best online Japanese tutoring services!

There are many reasons to take online classes these days. You can learn from the comfort of your own home, and you can even find private classes that can help you expand your knowledge. These lessons may be just what you need to improve your Japanese skills.

Check out the best online Japanese tutoring services for finding online Japanese tutors below.

1. LanguaTalk

The best in terms of overall online tutoring

If you're looking for experienced and qualified tutors, LanguaTalk is one of the best online Japanese tutoring services.

You can feel confident that the tutor you find on LanguaTalk is knowledgeable and experienced because they thoroughly screen all of their tutors to make sure they're qualified to help you learn the language.

LanguaTalk is very selective in who they approve as online Japanese tutors. In fact, only 10% of all applicants are approved. 

You can learn more about tutors directly on the LanguaTalk website and read student reviews. Although many tutors may concentrate on speaking ability because they themselves are native speakers, their courses can be totally tailored to you.

This allows you to improve your language skills in a way that is both effective and efficient, no matter your level.

LanguaTalk is a great way to learn Japanese. However, if you’re looking to learn something highly specific, say Okinawan Japanese instead of the standard Tokyo dialect, you might have a bit less luck.

In addition, you may need to ask your tutor for additional resources, as the site itself has a limited selection. 

Pros

• Tutors are carefully vetted, so quality is high and they can adapt to your specific needs
• You can book a free, 30-minute trial (no card required)
• You can view tutors’ reviews
• The website is intuitive and accessible

Cons

• If you need to learn highly specialised Japanese, you might struggle to find the right tutor
• You’ll need to ask your tutor for additional learning resources

2. Sensei Shokai

A dedicated Japanese online tutoring service

Many online language learning services have a branch dedicated to each of a variety of languages. Not so with Sensei Shokai, which is solely focused on Japanese.

The highly qualified teachers at Sensei Shokai do things a little bit differently—often, they’ll sit down with you over something like Google Docs in order to work together.

This is a great approach, because you get to keep all of the notes you work on together after the session is done, meaning you don’t need to remember everything yourself.

Prices are affordable, and lessons usually last about an hour. You can get a discounted rate on your first lesson to get a feel for how things work. 

As an added bonus, all of the teachers must either pass the Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test, or they must prove that they have taken a Japanese teacher training course for at least 420 hours.

Pros

• Teachers are highly vetted
• Google Docs allows better note-keeping
• Discount is available to try the service

Cons

• If you want a lot of lessons, it can get a little pricey
• Those who work best from audio lessons may need to work with their tutor on a routine that’s effective

3. italki

The most diverse platform out there

Japanese is a beautiful language that many people want to learn.

There are different ways that you can go about learning the language, but one of the most effective ways is to hire a professional tutor.

italki is a well-known name in Japanese tutoring. It provides two types of instruction: professional and community. 

Professional instruction is given by teachers who are native speakers or have an advanced level proficiency in the language. Community instructors are often less expensive than those who have recognised credentials.

While they may lack formal credentials, they are typically native speakers who are willing to practice. This makes them ideal for you if you want to improve your language skills through immersion.

If you're looking for a way to improve your Japanese skills or want to learn another Asian language, italki is a great option. With over 30,000 tutors available on the platform, it's likely that you'll be able to find someone who meets your needs.

In order to learn Japanese in a way that fits your schedule and lifestyle, italki works hard to stay accessible both as a desktop website and as an app. No matter how you like to learn, italki can help you reach your goals.

Pros

• You can pick the best type of tutor for you
• You have access to lots of free materials 
• Easy access no matter the device

Cons

• Community tutors are primarily useful for speaking practice
• The website can be laggy and difficult to use at times

4. Verbling

For those looking for tutors on a global scale 

Verbling is an online tutoring service that provides Japanese classes.

What distinguishes Verbling is how its teachers charge for their services. Verbling offers a variety of pricing options that make it affordable for everyone.

A tutor's fee is not set by the site like other tutoring options; instead, the tutor can choose their own cost and adjust it at will. This means that tutors can be more flexible with their pricing, which can be beneficial for both the tutor and the student.

When it comes to finding a tutor, that means you can probably find someone within your price range. You’ll also be able to search based on where the tutor is located.

This can be extremely helpful if you’re looking for someone who is close by or who can help you with specific language variants that are based on geography.

The website is well designed and easy to use. However, the app isn't always as reliable. You may need to wait for a patch before using it as your primary means of access. 

Looking for an Japanese tutor? Look no further than Verbling. With tutors from all across the globe, you're sure to find a teacher that targets your specific interests.

Whether you're looking to improve your conversational skills or learn more about Japanese culture, they’ve got you covered.

Pros

• Tutors available anywhere in Japan or worldwide
• The website makes sense
• Free trials are available

Cons

• The app needs to be worked on
• Some tutors are better than others

5. MyLingoTrip

For a curriculum that has been tried and tested

At MLT, each lesson is a one-on-one session, which allows for more personalized attention from the instructor.

The number of classes you take each week will determine your fee. If you sign up for more classes, the overall cost will go down—which encourages you to commit to learning Japanese over time. This also makes it more affordable to commit to.

However, you are required to take a minimum of five classes, and you will be assigned a tutor based on your responses to questionnaires before you start.

Although you may be nervous about being assigned a teacher instead of choosing one, all of the online Japanese tutors are native speakers who have certifications. This guarantees that they will be able to provide you with the best possible education.

MyLingoTrip is among the best online Japanese tutoring services for a number of reasons, but one of the best things about it is that all of the teachers adhere to a set, tried-and-true curriculum.

This means that your experience will feel exactly the same as if you were taking a traditional in-person Japanese lesson, but from anywhere in the world! 

Pros

• The curriculum is high quality
• You get discounts based on how many lessons you book
• All tutors are native Japanese speakers

Cons

• The curriculum is a very linear path
• You’ll need to be able to use something like Skype 

6. VerbalPlanet

For those who love feedback

If you want to choose the best instructor and get feedback along the way you'll find VerbalPlanet to be a valuable tool.

With VerbalPlanet, you can not only pick the instructor that's right for you, but also receive guidance and feedback as you progress.

At VerbalPlanet, all of the online Japanese tutors understand that providing comprehensive feedback is crucial for you to learn and grow.

That's why they place a strong emphasis on making sure their teachers are equipped with the tools they need to give their students the most consistent feedback—after every lesson, if possible.

Tutors can help you stay motivated by using the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) to pinpoint your strengths. This way, you can focus on areas that need improvement and expand your abilities.

There are many options available for taking VP classes online, so you can find the platform that works best for you. In addition to Zoom, you can also attend your classes via Teams and Skype.

VerbalPlanet classes typically last around 40 minutes, while many other online Japanese tutoring programs teach for at least an hour. This shorter time commitment means that you can fit a VerbalPlanet course into your busy schedule more easily.

While it can be difficult to find extra time in the day, it is important to make language learning a priority, and 40 minutes instead of an hour plus certainly helps.

Pros

• You can count on feedback
• Lessons are cheaper in bulk
• You can read about each tutor

Cons

• Might not be able to try for free
• 40 minutes feels too short for some people

Best Online Japanese Tutoring Services FAQ

Final Thoughts On The Best Online Japanese Tutoring Services

There are a lot of ways to learn Japanese these days. You can find Japanese podcasts, Japanese TV shows, and more on the internet. And this is a great way to learn the language, because you can do it at your own pace and in your own time.

However, if you're looking to improve your skills and synthesise your knowledge, the best online Japanese tutoring services can help you.

With the guidance of an expert native speaker, your Japanese proficiency can grow faster than it would if you were trying to learn everything on your own.

There's no better time than now to get started, so check out LanguaTalk, our top recommendation for finding the best online Japanese tutors.

The platform stands out for its ease of use, and unlike other sites, identifies the top 10% of talent. It also offers a 30-minute free trial session to new students, though a few tutors do opt to charge a small fee for this. Click here to see tutors' availability, videos and reviews.

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.