Japanese Conversation Classes in Yokosuka You Need to Know

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Looking for Japanese conversation classes in Yokosuka? There are many options to choose from. Before moving to Japan, I had started self-teaching myself some basic conversation grammar and the three written languages, ひらがな (hiragana – syllabary used for Japanese words), カタカナ(katakana – a second syllabary mostly used for emphasis and foreign words) and 漢字 (kanji – Chinese characters of which you need a working knowledge of ~2000 to read a newspaper).

Reading is a key skill to have control of, especially when eating out in Japan!  I had the benefit of some basic knowledge from the 8 prior trips I had made to Japan but no real opportunity to speak past “hello”, “excuse me” and “can I have this?”. I really needed there to be some Japanese conversation classes in Yokosuka.

Personally, for me, living in a foreign country I believe you should make every effort to speak their language.  Even if you are somewhere for a short time, making an effort one speaking the language will serve you at least twice over. The bottom line: having a basic understanding of the Japanese language is beneficial. Not just to get by in town, but also to have better relationships and understanding of the culture.

[Update as of 6/27/2022- Classes are on again! But make sure to check ahead of time as the schedule could be impacted by COVID.]

Japanese Conversation Classes in Yokosuka

Going to be honest, trying to research courses available beforehand lead me to nothing promising in the local area. The closest was in Yokohama and mostly they were available in Tokyo.  Yokosuka is close to Tokyo, but not THAT close. There had to be something available but apparently not searchable on the English side of Google.

Luckily, a coworker was familiar with the Yokosuka International Association (YIA) which offers DAILY Japanese conversation classes in Yokosuka, sometimes morning and night. Now I’m passing this knowledge off to you!

What to Expect from the Sensei

There are 10 different groups of volunteers that run each of the Japanese Conversation classes in Yokosuka.  Most are prior teachers or tutors but I believe some have taken up the hobby in retirement, they are all are trained in teaching Japanese.

Forewarning: This is immersion learning, the best kind of learning in my opinion for foreign languages, but does take some getting used to for some people. If you are stuck, they will break into English for you. Try your best to start thinking in Japanese though!

There are normally anywhere from 6-10 teachers and groups of 1-5 students with each teacher.  Is your group too beginner or too advanced? They might adjust you themselves but in either case, think of the benefits before you ask to be moved. Hearing more advanced Japanese could help you improve faster. If you are ahead, helping lesser experienced people could help solidify your knowledge.

The Application Process

Yes, that sounds scary. No, it’s not. If you go to the association’s website or main office, it might confuse you though. No need to worry, you can just show up a few minutes before a scheduled class of the different volunteer groups under the YIA umbrella without anything with you. Most of “the application” is basic information like your name and email address. The rest is to give them an idea of your level of Japanese so they can place you with the correct group.

Are they going to cost a lot?  Surprisingly, no!

The best part is the price of these Japanese conversation classes in Yokosuka.  The Monday evening class is 1000 yen (or about $10 USD) for the year. Some of the others are 1000 yen for every trimester.  The classes usually have one day off a month and a break in summer and winter for a few weeks but you can’t beat that price regardless.

The classes that are 1000 yen per trimester contribute to extra outings besides class. The fee goes to a group outing where they normally include lunch at a restaurant so, in my eyes, the cost is nil.  

What about learning material?

The Japanese Conversation classes in Yokosuka all work off the Minna no Nihongo series of books. Of the four textbook series I’ve used over the years, it’s my favorite. Remember how I said this is an immersion–style Japanese conversation class? Well, the books are completely in Japanese as well. It helps to start with a working knowledge of the syllabaries. Don’t worry, the teachers will help you! There is an additional text that translates the concepts for you.

Having your own copy is handy but not required. The 先生 (sensei, teachers, I’m starting you early!) will either have a copy for you to use or printouts. Personally, I like having my own. You’ll need the text and the translation book and they are quite affordable compared to some other textbooks.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Japanese Conversation Classes in Yokosuka Schedule

You can see the entire schedule here for 2022 (they follow the Japanese school year that runs from April to March). You can see the day of the week and time, which days of the month, who gives each class, where they are located, and the fee associated.

Where are they located?

You’ll see on the schedule that there are two main locations.  When you put those into Google, just make sure they are the Yokosuka locations as they are generic names. Here are the links to each of them!

Bunka Kaikan 文化会館

Soga Fukushi Kaikan 総合福祉会館

Werk Yokosuka ヴェルクよこすか (Also where YIA’s office is)

You can also visit YIA’s office for more information.  They are very friendly but all of the volunteer groups will also be able to help you with more information. They are located on the second floor, head left then right out of the elevator.

How do I find out more?

YIAs website is mostly in Japanese and hard to find in the first place for information on what they have to offer.  Hence, I hope this post is very helpful for others looking for an outlet for learning Japanese!  I’ve been extremely proud of the improvements I’ve made going to these classes.

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