What Level Are You At?

Take our Japanese language level quiz. Numerous questions spanning all levels of the Japanese language should give you a good idea of what level you are at with the Japanese language.

 

Highly rated Ottawa Japanese Language Tutor & Guided Tour Host. Based in Ottawa, Canada, offering one-on-one custom tutoring and personalized city tours.

I am a native Japanese speaker living in Ottawa, Canada. I have taught formal Japanese to children and adults in Japan, from kindergarten to high school. My last position in Japan was teaching formal Japanese to the staff of a large resort hotel. I teach using Romaji, Hiragana, Katakana as well as Kanji for advanced students, and I also teach Japanese calligraphy.

I use an informal, flexible teaching method: a combination of grammar, conversation (both formal and informal), and writing. Lessons are always customized to suit your Japanese language needs.

My tutoring rate is $40/hour.

In addition to language tutoring, I now also provide guided tours of Ottawa for Japanese tourists. Whether you would like to explore Parliament Hill, ByWard Market, Rideau Canal, or hidden gems only locals know, I can guide you through the city in Japanese, making your visit enjoyable, informative, and stress-free.


Our online classroom is MS Teams. I provide a personal learning experience by sending customized learning materials before the lesson, then meeting on Teams for one-on-one sessions.

Of course, if you happen to live in the Ottawa area, we can certainly arrange for an in-person learning environment.

For Japanese visitors, I can also arrange customized Ottawa sightseeing tours in Japanese.

Learning Japanese Your Way

We can provide custom tutoring sessions either online or in person, private or small groups..

Lessons Options

Support for formal language tests (N5 to N1)

Preperation for upcoming trip

Custom course plans

Virtual or Inperson Tutoring

Online tutoring sessions using common messaging apps. Or in person if you live in the Ottawa, Canada area.

日本語でめぐるオタワ観光

日本人ガイドによる首都のガイド付きツアー。.

Just for You

Custom lessons depending on your needs.

Basic Japanese

Create a basic understanding of the Japanese language. Use Romaji (English) alphabet to help build a basic vocabulary.

Intermediate Japanese

Expand your vocabulary and begin to learn Hiragana and Katakana alphabets (learn to read/write in Japanese).

Advanced Japanese

Understand formal variations and begin learning Kanji.

Conversational

Learn basic phrases to help with simple conversation. Useful if planning a trip to Japan.

Prepartion for N1-N5

Custom lessons tailored to help passing formal N1 to N5 language certification tests.

Caligraphy

Ancient art of using ink-dipped brush to artistically create kanji and Japanesekana characters.

Latest From Our Blog

Some articles about the Japanese language you may find interesting.

Ottawa sign in the market.

日本語でめぐるオタワ観光

Posted by Peter / August 24, 2025 / Japanese Life

「せっかく来たなら、もっとオタワを楽しみたい!」

そんな方におすすめなのが、日本語ガイド付きの観光ツアーです。

Handmade 3D Mask

Posted by Peter / April 9, 2020 / Japanese Life

I made a three-dimensional mask. It is economical because it can be washed and used many times. You can wear a disposable mask and cover it. If you don't have a disposable mask, you can fold paper...

Cheesey Chicken-Katsu

Posted by Shino / February 8, 2020 / Japanese Life

Tonight's dinner is "Cheesey Chicken-Katsu".  And miso soup with lots of vegetables. The amount is large but very healthy. Someday I want to gather friends who like Japanese food and enjoy a meal...

Happy Students

Comments from some of our happy students.

Moving to a foreign country can be intimidating, especially when you don't speak the language. In six short weeks, Shino prepared me and my colleagues to move to Japan with her customized lessons covering everything from grammar to conversational Japanese to the critical cultural nuances necessary to know in Japan. She went above and beyond as a teacher, adjusting lessons to what we needed to know and even preparing us personalized vocabulary books we can take with us to Tokyo! On top of all that, Shino is so friendly, warm, and makes learning a new language fun and exciting. She is not just a teacher, but a true friend. I hope she can return to Tokyo sometime soon so we can show off our Japanese to her in an izakaya!

Katharine Starr

Shino is a fantastic Japanese instructor. She helped my spouse and I prepare for our trip to Tokyo in a very short timeframe and her lessons left us feeling much better prepared. She was able to answer all of our questions -- and we're journalists by trade, so we had many! She is a kind and thoughtful teacher and made the lessons fun.

 

Arigatou gozaimasu, Shino-sensei!

Kyle Duggan

When my husband and I found out we would be moving to Japan for business, we were concerned with knowing some of the languages and customs of the country. A friend of ours recommended Shino Togami, and we couldn't be happier with our group lessons. Each week, Shino came up with a customized lesson plan, allowing us time to learn important phrases and basic grammar. When we had specific requests for themes, Shino came up with new materials quickly. She also gave us a window into Japanese culture, sharing entertaining stories which brought the material to life. By the end of our time together, she was our friend, as well as our teacher. 

Elyse Skura

Shino-san is a teacher who listens to her student’s needs. She adapts her lessons according to her student’s request. Shino-san masters his language perfectly and she is able to teach me the language subtleties. Shino-san will teach you the language through the Japanese culture. I have been learning the language for few months and Shino-san she is now a friend, she is very kind and you will love her lessons.

Shino-san est une enseignante à l’écoute des besoins de ses élèves. Elle adapte ses leçons à la demande de ses élèves. Shino-san maîtrise parfaitement sa langue et est capable de m'apprendre les subtilités de sa langue. Shino-san vous enseignera la langue à travers la culture japonaise. J'apprenais la langue depuis quelques mois et Shino-san est maintenant une amie, elle est très gentille et vous allez adorer ses leçons.

Alex

Shino san is a great Japanese tutor. She is organized and caters her lessons to her student's needs and objectives. She takes into consideration the students' method of learning as well as provides insightful tips for improvement.

Elicia

Shino-san is a very knowledgeable Japanese language teacher whose experience ranges from young kids learning beginner-level Japanese to native Japanese speakers learning honorific speech. Her education in law from one of the top universities in Japan allows her to draw examples and vocabulary from a very wide range of fields. She is also very flexible and attentive to the needs and goals of her students. Anyone willing to study Japanese will definitely make vast improvements with Shino-san.

Eren

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