FAQ — online Japanese school for kids
Ask us anything.
Here are the questions parents ask us most about TOMODACHI JAPAN, our online Japanese school for kids.
About age & level
What ages can join?
Mainly elementary and middle-school age. More than age or grade, what matters is the wish to “make friends in Japanese.” Older students and adults are welcome too — just get in touch.
My child speaks no Japanese at all. Is that OK?
Absolutely. Kids can join even if they can’t read hiragana yet. Because we start by “spending time together” rather than “teaching,” words grow little by little, from zero.
Will the time difference or our local school be a problem?
No problem. Classes run at three kinds of times: weekday daytime, weekday evening (easy to join after international school), and weekends. Whatever country you live in and whatever your routine, there’s a way to take part. Tell us where you live when you sign up and we’ll guide you.
Teachers & safety
Who are the teachers?
Hand-picked teachers who passed a roughly 2% selective hiring process. NIJIN Inc. runs its own teacher communities for elementary and middle-school educators (“Jugyou Terasu” and “Chugakkou Terasu”), and has trained 1,200+ teachers across Japan. Our teachers are trained through that expertise. The principal is Tatsuro Hoshino, founder of NIJIN Academy. Meet our teachers →
How do you keep kids safe online?
TOMODACHI JAPAN is run by NIJIN Inc., which has operated NIJIN Academy — an online school with 800+ students, recognized with the Prime Minister’s Award — for over three years. We bring that same operating experience here. Teachers and staff are present in the campus, so if anything comes up, there’s always someone to talk to right away.
My child is shy. I’m worried they won’t make friends.
That’s OK. Kids can start with camera off and an avatar, and teachers help connections form gently, step by step. At NIJIN Academy, it’s not unusual for a child who made no friends in their first two months to become one of the most active members later on. We treasure each child’s own pace above all.
What you need
What equipment do we need?
A computer or tablet with an internet connection — that’s all. The campus runs on oVice, and we’ll walk you through how to get in at your trial.
My child doesn’t want to turn the camera on.
Camera-off, avatar participation is totally fine. Even shy kids can ease in at their own pace.
For parents
What’s the enrolment process?
A simple flow: join an information & trial session → enrol. Before we open, join the waitlist and we’ll send you trial-session invitations first.
How do we pay?
By credit card or bank transfer.
Is there a sibling discount?
Yes — 2,000 JPY off per month for your second child, and 3,000 JPY off for your third. Siblings are very welcome.
Can we pause or cancel?
There’s no pause option. To cancel, just let us know by one month before your desired end month.
When do you open?
A pilot launch is planned for December 2026. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you trial-session invitations first. It’s free, and we’ll never push you to join.
Who runs the school?
NIJIN Inc., which runs NIJIN Academy (800+ students), an online school for elementary, middle and high-school students in Japan. Learn more about us →