Mika-sensei
JLPT-certified, exam prep specialist, 8 years teaching JLPT N4 and N3
"I help learners stop studying everything and start studying what the exam tests."
Reading and exam prep · JLPT N4/N3 specialist
Tell us about your goal.
You get weekly live sessions, short daily practice, and a teacher who will help you achieve your goal.
Travel Survival Japanese
4-week travel class · 1 to 4 learners
Practice restaurants, train stations, hotels, pharmacies, and asking for directions before your trip.
すみません
いくらですか
駅はどこですか
Private tutoring or group classes available.
Japanese Through Anime and Manga
4-week pop culture class · Anime and manga at your level
Learn natural conversation, slang, emotional nuance, and cultural context from supported titles.
エゴい
絶対に勝つ
サッカー用語
Tell us about your preferred anime or manga and we will match you with a tutor.
JLPT Exam Prep
8-week exam class · JLPT-certified teacher
Drill kanji, grammar, reading, listening, exam timing, and weekly written submissions.
文法
読解
聴解
1 month intensive program for JLPT exams in July.
Ongoing Coaching
Monthly teacher support · Start anytime
Build a steady routine with teacher check-ins, daily practice, and feedback.
質問
復習
添削
Available anytime for private tutoring or group tutoring.
Three things make Hanayoku different.
Private or small-group tutor.
Every program is led by a Japanese teacher who specializes in your program's focus area. Exam prep teachers are JLPT-certified. Lifestyle teachers are selected for fluency, cultural depth, and warmth.
Exam Prep: Daily practice between sessions
If you are studying for JLPT, your teacher will decide what you should focus on each week. We turn that into short daily practice you can do on your own time. Roughly 20 minutes a day. Vocabulary in context, grammar drills, listening practice, short writing tasks. All targeted at what you actually need next.
A clear finish line.
Every program has a specific outcome by a specific date. You are not subscribing forever. You are signing up to be able to do one specific thing in 4 to 8 weeks.
Meet some of our teachers.
Our teachers are selected by program. Exam prep teachers are JLPT-certified specialists. Lifestyle, travel, and pop culture teachers are native Japanese speakers selected for fluency, cultural fluency, and warmth.
Haruka-sensei
Native speaker, travel and speaking Japanese, all levels
"My focus is on getting learners comfortable speaking before they panic about it."
Speaking and travel Japanese · all levels
Ren-sensei
Native speaker, business and lifestyle Japanese, N4 to N3
"I work with learners who need Japanese for actual work such as meetings, emails, reports."
Business and lifestyle Japanese · N4 to N3
Coming soon
Native speaker, anime, manga, and pop culture, N5 to N3
"Anime and manga are not just entertainment. They are a window into how Japanese people actually talk, feel, and joke."
Pop culture teacher · N5 to N3
Preview each program.
See how each program turns a clear goal into teacher-led sessions, short daily practice, and useful feedback between meetings.
Program preview
Travel Survival Japanese
JLPT Exam Prep
Japanese Through Anime and Manga
Travel program
Land in Japan with phrases ready.
Practice the moments travelers actually face. Ordering, asking for help, checking in, reading signs, and recovering when someone answers too fast.
Roleplay scenario
You are at a crowded ramen shop. Ask for a seat, order, and confirm what is included.
Teacher focus
Natural rhythm, polite openings, and what to say when you do not understand.
Ordering Food
Key terms
豚骨ラーメンを一つお願いします
Tonkotsu raamen o hitotsu onegai shimasu
One tonkotsu ramen, please.
おすすめは何ですか
Osusume wa nan desu ka
What do you recommend?
もう一度お願いします
Mou ichido onegai shimasu
One more time, please.
Quick drill
Choose the right phrase for a train station, convenience store, hotel desk, or pharmacy.
End-of-week task
Record a 60-second travel exchange. Your teacher replies with pronunciation notes.
This program is built for travelers who want usable Japanese fast, not textbook coverage for its own sake.
Exam prep
Get exam-ready in a month.
Use the first month to turn scattered study into a real exam plan. Your teacher spots weak areas, then practice targets the gaps.
Readiness snapshot
GrammarNeeds review
ListeningGetting close
Reading speedTarget this week
JLPT practice
来月の試験に向けて、毎日少しずつ復習しています。苦手な文法を中心に練習しています。
質問：この人は何を中心に練習していますか。
A. 漢字
B. 文法
C. 会話
D. 作文
Practice mixes timed questions, weak-area drills, and short teacher comments on what to fix next.
Exam prep is not just more questions. It is knowing what to review, when to move on, and how to stay calm under time pressure.
Lifestyle program
Review anime and manga without losing the joy.
Bring scenes and chapters into class. Your teacher helps you notice speech levels, jokes, sound words, and cultural context.
Anime scene
Why does one character switch from polite speech to casual speech?
Manga panel
What does this sound effect add to the joke?
Review board
今日の表現：まじで？
Not just "really?". Tone changes it from surprise to disbelief, excitement, or teasing.
タメ口
擬音語
感情表現
文化メモ
The goal is not to turn pop culture into homework. It is to make the Japanese you already love easier to hear, read, and remember.
Learn Japanese through the content you actually love.
Our unique pop culture program builds vocabulary and grammar directly from anime and manga properties we support. Pick your level, pick your show or manga, and learn from material that was written for native speakers, not for textbooks.
📺
Anime
Learn practical Japanese from popular shows
Spy x Family
Family conversations
Learn polite speech, casual speech, and emotional expression from natural family dialogue.
いただきます
おかえり
行ってきます
Your Name / Kimi no Na wa
Youth speech and dialects
Study Tokyo speech, countryside speech, youth expressions, and dramatic emotional language.
〜っす
方言表現
感情表現
📖
Manga
Build vocabulary with visual context
Yotsuba&!
Daily life and sound words
Learn simple Japanese, sound words, mimetic words, and small seasonal rituals.
わくわく
どきどき
擬音語
Blue Lock
Soccer, rivalry, and self-expression
Practice sports terms, rival banter, teamwork conflict, and strong goal-focused speech.
エゴい
絶対に勝つ
サッカー用語
Have other titles in mind? Let us know and we can find a tutor to match your interest.
先生、「ように」はどう読みますか。発音がむずかしいです。
Student voice
0:07
「ように」は「よーに」のように、少し長く言います。口を小さくして、ゆっくり言ってみましょう。
Teacher voice
0:12
Questions? Message your teacher anytime
Stuck on a grammar point or pronunciation? Send a question, recording, or screenshot. Your teacher replies with context on your prep.
Hanayoku vs. the alternatives.
Feature
Hanayoku
Apps
1:1 tutors
Self-study
Real teacher
✓
✗
Varies
✗
Daily structured practice
✓
✓
Sometimes
✗
Private or small-group
✓
✗
✗
✗
Clear goal by a specific date
✓
✗
Depends
✗
Cost per week
~$25-50
~$5-15
~$60-120
$0
Designed for completion
✓
✗
✗
✗
*Cost estimates are typical market rates as of 2026. Self-study is technically free but has the lowest completion rate of any approach to language learning.
Pricing by program.
No subscription required. Pay once for the program. After a program ends, you can continue with ongoing monthly coaching if you want to keep practicing. Or just stop.
Travel
Travel Survival Japanese
$79
For 4 weeks. Equivalent to under $19.75 per week.
· 4 weekly sessions
· Daily practice
· Async teacher feedback
Exam
JLPT Exam Prep
$179
For 8 weeks. Equivalent to under $22 per week.
· 8 weekly sessions
· Daily targeted practice
· Weekly written submission review
· Pre-exam readiness review
· Employer-reimbursable invoice
Coaching
Ongoing Coaching
From $18/session
For learners who want steady support with a teacher.
· Pay per session
· Ongoing daily practice
· Async teacher feedback
· Cancel any month
Pop culture
Japanese Through Anime and Manga
$79
For 4 weeks.
· 4 weekly sessions with your tutor
· Daily extracted vocab and grammar practice
· Curated content from supported properties
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Apps give you generic lessons. Private tutors are flexible, but you often plan the structure yourself. Hanayoku gives you a real teacher, a clear program goal, short daily practice, and feedback between sessions.
Weekly live sessions are 50 minutes, and daily practice takes about 10 minutes. Exam prep classes use Japanese as much as your level allows, with English for clear explanations. Travel classes are mostly conducted in English.
Choose Travel Survival if you want practical Japanese for a trip. Choose JLPT Exam Prep if you are working toward a test. Choose Anime and Manga if you learn best through stories you already like. Choose Ongoing Coaching if you want steady support with a teacher. If you are not sure, pick "Not sure, help me decide" in the form.
Pay only if we match you with a tutor. If we cannot find the right program, level, or schedule, we will suggest another class, offer a 1-on-1 option, or keep looking with you.
Pay only if we match you with a tutor and you confirm the option. After payment, you can still get a full refund within 5 days of the program start date, minus payment processor fees.
Yes. We provide an invoice and a one-page program summary with learning outcomes.
JLPT exam prep is taught by JLPT-certified teachers. Travel and Pop Culture programs are taught by native Japanese speakers selected for fluency, cultural depth, and warmth. Hanayoku is built by Victor Neo, a software engineer in Singapore with more than 10 years of startup experience and a background running an online Japanese school.
Find your tutor.
Tell us what you want to learn. We will match you with the right teacher, program, and schedule. We will also send a short 5-minute form to confirm your level and timezone.
Not ready to pick a program? Tell us your goal and we will help you find the right tutor.