Across Australia, cultural experiences like our Melbourne Japanese Festival inspire many people to study the Japanese language. In every Australian city, councils, schools, and associations host events and put learning programs in place. With Japanese enthusiasts searching for Japanese lessons throughout Australia, this guide to learn Japanese in Melbourne couldn't come at a better time.
Where to Find a Japanese Course Melbourne
- University courses: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), the University of Melbourne
- A dedicated Japanese language school: KonnichiWhat, JAPANEASY, Japanese Melbourne Language school and others
- Franchise language centres: Listen & Learn, Language Trainers, and others
- Japanese groups and societies: The Japanese Foundation, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and others
- Informal language exchange: Meetups, cultural exchange events, cafés and others
Japanese Language Course, Melbourne Universities
Many Melbourne-area students learn Japanese throughout their time in school and sit the Japanese exam for their Victoria Certificate of Education (VCE). Often, they do so to enrol in a university Japanese language degree program. These students must now choose.
The University of Melbourne Japanese study program delivers a comprehensive education in the Japanese language and culture. Learners will study all aspects of Japanese society - political, social, economic, and cultural. Not to be outdone, RMIT offers a similar study option.
How do the two schools' programs compare? Let's look at them side by side.
The University of Melbourne
- three years full-time or equivalent part-time
- 88 guaranteed ATAR for entry
- 24 course units required (300 points)
- 4 'entry points' available (based on students' Japanese ability levels)
- a chance for further study abroad
- #1 Australian school and #19 in the world for Humanities studies
RMIT University
- three years full-time or equivalent part-time
- 66.10 ATAR plus prerequisites
- 300+ credit points required
- 6 'entry points' available (based on students' Japanese ability levels)
- possible overseas internship
- #10 Australian school and #176 in the world for Humanities studies
The University of Western Australia offers Perth area Japanese courses to undergraduates. Like Melbourne universities, that school offers no short courses in Japanese to the broader public. Maybe that's an initiative those faculties should consider?
JAPANEASY
Melbournites who aren't university-bound are eager to discover and learn the Japanese language, just as Adelaide language learners are. In our city, we find great options for Japanese language lessons in Melbourne, as this school demonstrates.
JAPANEASY, written just that way, offers group lessons, as well as private and offsite lessons. Their hack is to make learning convenient for you. JAPANEASY teachers believe in bringing the Japanese culture into the classroom. They cultivate an immersive language community that makes studying Japanese exciting and effortless.
🌐www.japaneasy.com.au/
📍L1/183 Exhibition St, Melbourne VIC 3000
📞+614 2226 6308
Nunawading Japanese School
In most minds, 'school' is a concept meant for children. To wit, this school formally calls itself Melbourne Japanese School for Adults.
Grown-ups have more staying power, so classes at Nunawading last a bit longer. Learners have 80-minute sessions to look forward to. Each moment is packed with discovery: how to read, write and speak this marvellous tongue. Class sizes remain small, so that everyone has the chance to exercise their new skills.
🌐http://japanesetutormelbourne.com.au/
📍8A Wood St, Nunawading VIC 3131
📞+614 2123 4951
JIC Language School
Unlike Japanese language schools Canberra, facilities in Melbourne exceed expectations, both in quality and variety of courses. JIC is a fine example of well-laid-out initiatives for language learners.
This school welcomes absolute beginners and advanced Japanese speakers with equal warmth. Once your teacher determines your level of language ability, they will slot you into the course track that will benefit you the most. JIC's curriculum is structured to deliver maximum competency in the shortest time.
🌐http://www.jic.com.au/
📍The Paramount centre, Suite 6, 8, 18 and 22 - Level 1/108 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
📞+613 9654 5121
If you or your high schooler are preparing for a Japanese language exam, JIC offers extra help.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT): specialised test-prep tutors on standby.
VCE exams: tutors familiar with the curriculum can help your student earn top marks.
Japanese Australia
If you want to learn Japanese in Melbourne but have no time for scheduled classroom visits, this language school is your best option. Japanese Australia delivers lessons online, though it has a physical presence in our city. Thanks to this Japanese language school's online platform, even Japanese learning in Darwin is possible.
Online lessons work the same way as in-person classes do. You and your teacher must find out what level you are, beginner, intermediate or advanced. You should also tell your teacher why you want to take Japanese lessons:
- I plan to visit Japan for fun and adventure
- I will study in Japan for a year
- I'm moving to Japan for business
- I love Japanese music, film and culture
Each of these reasons implies that your Japanese teacher must take a different approach to your lessons. For instance, the business person will study Business Japanese, while the student going to Tokyo University to study will need academic Japanese. You can also enlist Japanese Australian teachers for JLPT and VCE exam preparation.
🌐http://japaneseaustralia.com.au
📍258 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
📞+614 3010 3660
Japanese Melbourne Language School (JMLS)
JMLS is a decade-old Japanese language practice that boasts exclusively native Japanese teachers. The JMLS method is immersive; it brings the culture of Japan into the classroom students to explore and learn from.
JMLS offers face to face lessons, which are usually small groups of five or fewer, leading to a personalised experience between student and teacher. They also offer online courses, particularly for JLPT and VCE exam preparation.
🌐http://japanesemelbourne.com.au/
📍L4/258 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
📞+614 7795 5088
Vocational Language Learning Centre (VLLC)
VLLC is one of Melbourne's oldest language learning centres. Established in 1989, it has used this time to refine their language teaching process, all while educating legions of language learners. It's also expanded its operations; Japanese learners in Sydney benefit from VLLC's teaching experience, too.
All too often, learners rely on the translation method to connect words from their native language into their studied tongue. VLLC shortcuts that translation process by creating direct associations between concepts and learned language.
This school takes a novel, visual approach to teaching languages. Rather than linking English vocabulary to Japanese words, VLLC teachers don't use English as a pathway to Japanese. When they hold up a flashcard showing a ball, they say ボール - bōru, for example. It's a much more effective system than "The Japanese word for 'ball' is 'bōru'"!
🌐http://www.vllc.com.au/
📍VLLC at Creative Cubes, Ground Floor/333 Drummond St, Carlton VIC 3053
📞+613 9602 1605
The Council of Adult Education (CAE)
With all the excitement of successful commercial ventures to master Japanese, we mustn't overlook the learning opportunities our tax dollars help pay for. This Technical and Further Education (TAFE) facility offers short courses in many topics, including 12 languages besides Japanese.
CAE offers students a free language skills assessment so learners and teachers can decide the best placement. Once lessons begin, learners study language mechanics - Japanese grammar, vocabulary and writing. However, they also discover the cultural aspects of learning a language, including those related to food, dress, and art.
🌐https://www.cae.edu.au/
📍253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
📞+613 9652 0611
Japanese Cultural Events to Practise Language Skills
By the number of places to learn Japanese in Melbourne, you might have guessed that Japanese language and culture enjoys a high profile in Victoria's capital city.
Tops among these events must be the Japan Festival. It is the perfect chance for language and cultural exchange that Melbourne's Japanese community enjoys as much as anyone else.
In fact, many of our Japanese neighbours man the food stalls, while others put on exhibits. You might be keen to watch the karate demonstration or the Japanese dance. If you're feeling adventurous, you might even take part in one of the karaoke contests.
The festival also sponsors workshops in traditional Japanese arts like ikebana (flower arranging) and how to play traditional Japanese games.
The Melbourne Japanese Festival shares many aspects with the Japan Festival the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry sponsors.
As I write this (in 2025), planners are winding down from the Australian Sake Festival. It was at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, and gave Japanese rice wine enthusiasts a delightful time. This overview presents highlights from all of these events.
Having just wrapped up the Sake Festival at the end of June, you might feel yourself at loose ends, wondering how you can stay engaged with other Japanese enthusiasts. Besides your language classes, you might join one of Melbourne's popular Japanese Meetup groups:
- Progressibu, a group with 1 531 members, meets weekly for socialising and language exchange.
- JAPANEASY, a 3 000+ strong community, also meets weekly around the city.
- Fluent Fast: a huge, active group that meets every week to practise Japanese speaking.
Opportunities for involvement in the Brisbane Japanese learning community is almost as exciting as it is in Melbourne. And, you must keep in mind that the schools and clubs mentioned here barely scratch the surface of Japanese learning and culture sharing activities. Won't you tell us which ones are your favourites?
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