Tanuki

5 (19 reviews)

Price $87
Answer 8h
Students
Number of students Tanuki has accompanied since arriving at Superprof
39
Number of students Tanuki has accompanied since arriving at Superprof

5 (19 reviews)

$87/h

Japanese
Japanese speaking
Japanese vocabulary
Japanese listening
Japanese pronunciation

Fashion stylist and author of An Obsession Made In Japan. MA Design History graduate from the Royal College of Art. BA Politics at Keio University (慶應義塾大学). Formerly at Takarajimasha (宝島社) & Monocle.

Japanese
Japanese speaking
Japanese vocabulary
Japanese listening
Japanese pronunciation

Lesson location

- online

Ambassador

One of our best tutors. Quality profile, experience in their field, verified qualifications and a great response time. Tanuki will be happy to arrange your first Japanese lesson.

About Tanuki

Born and raised in Tokyo, studied BA Politics at the Keio University and worked for Takarajimasha Publishing (editing a menswear title) for 5 years. Therefore my attention to detail of Japanese spelling & grammar is at an expert level. I moved to London in 2005 to study Masters in History of Design at the Royal College of Art. Following the education, I was involved in launching the Monocle magazine in London and became the fashion director. Currently working as a freelance fashion stylist & creative director (still in London) + running my street food business on the side. I have been taking Karate since 2021, used to DJ, do street dance and Capoeira.

About the lesson

I can tailor the topics to your individual levels and requirements. The best way to develop your Japanese skill would be to focus on the fields you are interested in (e.g. Japanese food, traditions, sports, music, arts, manga, anime, history, tourism and fashion etc). Let's avoid 'textbook' style lessons as these would be less useful when you speak to Japanese people in real life. For example, I have been teaching a friend of mine (he is a fashion illustrator) and we talk about his art collections, work, food and weekends in a casual way. Now he is developing his Japanese skill and he is able to explain what he has done for his weekends etc!

Review

All of our reviews are collected by us and are 100% reliable. They correspond to a real experience had by the students of Tanuki.

5 (19 reviews)

M

Marta
- 5
Perfect! This was exactly what I was looking and hoping for. Take-san understands perfectly what you’re going for and delivers beyond expectation.
I was not certain I would ever manage to level up my speaking but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel
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M

Marta

Perfect! This was exactly what I was looking and hoping for. Take-san understands perfectly what you’re going for and delivers beyond expectation.
I was not certain I would ever manage to level up my speaking but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel

Tanuki's response
Marta knows a lot of words and frases already and she is a fast learner. I would love to help her grow her confidence when it comes to speaking.
- Tanuki's response :
  Marta knows a lot of words and frases already and she is a fast learner. I would love to help her grow her confidence when it comes to speaking.
L

Lewis
- 5
Perfect! Tanuki is such a brilliant teacher! I have been travelling Japan for about a month now and I have been able to converse with the locals with ease and people are impressed with my Japanese. I cannot recommend him highly enough! He is patient and also gave good challenges in the lessons which aided my learning. He is also great with grammar and suited the lessons and style to my learning abilities. 10/10!!
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L

Lewis

Perfect! Tanuki is such a brilliant teacher! I have been travelling Japan for about a month now and I have been able to converse with the locals with ease and people are impressed with my Japanese. I cannot recommend him highly enough! He is patient and also gave good challenges in the lessons which aided my learning. He is also great with grammar and suited the lessons and style to my learning abilities. 10/10!!

Tanuki's response
Lewis is a fast learner. Hope my lessons were useful for his first ever travel to Japan.
- Tanuki's response :
  Lewis is a fast learner. Hope my lessons were useful for his first ever travel to Japan.
N

Nidhal
- 5
Perfect! Efficient teacher with a very natural and interactive approach to learning japanese. Interesting talk about fashion and lifestyle.
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N

Nidhal

Perfect! Efficient teacher with a very natural and interactive approach to learning japanese. Interesting talk about fashion and lifestyle.

Tanuki's response
Nidhal-san is a fast learner, with already some skills in Japanese. He is interested in the Japanese culture/fashion a lot, which helps too.
- Tanuki's response :
  Nidhal-san is a fast learner, with already some skills in Japanese. He is interested in the Japanese culture/fashion a lot, which helps too.
Steve
- 5
Perfect! Tanuki is a great teacher; the lesson was tailored to my needs and informative!
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Steve

Perfect! Tanuki is a great teacher; the lesson was tailored to my needs and informative!

Tanuki's response
Stephen had taken some Japanese lessons in the past and remembers some. He is keen to brush up and improve so I would be delighted to help him.
- Tanuki's response :
  Stephen had taken some Japanese lessons in the past and remembers some. He is keen to brush up and improve so I would be delighted to help him.
F

Fiona
- 5
Perfect! A very lively teacher!
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F

Fiona

Perfect! A very lively teacher!

Tanuki's response
Fiona and Vincent already know a wide range of words/sentences and carry conversations very well. I would love to help them fine tune their grammar, step by step.
- Tanuki's response :
  Fiona and Vincent already know a wide range of words/sentences and carry conversations very well. I would love to help them fine tune their grammar, step by step.
Angel
- 5
Perfect! The first lesson was really good.
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Angel

Perfect! The first lesson was really good.

Tanuki's response
Angel already knows some words/expressions in Japanese. I would love to help her improve her skill to conversational soon.
- Tanuki's response :
  Angel already knows some words/expressions in Japanese. I would love to help her improve her skill to conversational soon.
T

Trevor
- 5
Perfect! Tanuki (or Take-san) was very receptive to all the topics I wanted to discuss and kept the lesson very free flowing which was a lot of fun! I can tell he is a very capable tutor for all levels of Japanese and will guarantee you have fun while learning.
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T

Trevor

Perfect! Tanuki (or Take-san) was very receptive to all the topics I wanted to discuss and kept the lesson very free flowing which was a lot of fun! I can tell he is a very capable tutor for all levels of Japanese and will guarantee you have fun while learning.

Tanuki's response
Trevor can speak Japanese very well already. I would love to fine-tune his vocabularies and build his confidence more, before his exciting trip to Japan.
- Tanuki's response :
  Trevor can speak Japanese very well already. I would love to fine-tune his vocabularies and build his confidence more, before his exciting trip to Japan.
S

Shobhita
- 5
Perfect! Such a good lesson! A very patient and understanding tutor. Really looking forward to our next session.
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S

Shobhita

Perfect! Such a good lesson! A very patient and understanding tutor. Really looking forward to our next session.

Tanuki's response
Shobhita's been to Japan, would like to visit the country again and speak with the local people in Japanese. She is willing to learn new words and I would love to grow her confidence.
- Tanuki's response :
  Shobhita's been to Japan, would like to visit the country again and speak with the local people in Japanese. She is willing to learn new words and I would love to grow her confidence.
D

Duncan
- 5
Perfect! I was very happy with my first lesson. Take was helpful and encouraging.
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D

Duncan

Perfect! I was very happy with my first lesson. Take was helpful and encouraging.

Tanuki's response
Duncan lived in Japan for 3 years, therefore he knows a lot of words already. I would love to help him construct sentences more simply & smoothly in Japanese.
- Tanuki's response :
  Duncan lived in Japan for 3 years, therefore he knows a lot of words already. I would love to help him construct sentences more simply & smoothly in Japanese.
M

Matthew
- 5
Perfect! Také is just the teacher I was looking for, his depth of knowledge and experience elevates it beyond a typical Japanese lesson. Very excited to continue learning and having fun while doing so!
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M

Matthew

Perfect! Také is just the teacher I was looking for, his depth of knowledge and experience elevates it beyond a typical Japanese lesson. Very excited to continue learning and having fun while doing so!

Tanuki's response
Matthew lived in Japan for a few months, continues studying Japanese back in London and already knows a lot of words. I would love to help him speak very well, by using what he has in his brain. Step by step...
- Tanuki's response :
  Matthew lived in Japan for a few months, continues studying Japanese back in London and already knows a lot of words. I would love to help him speak very well, by using what he has in his brain. Step by step...
D

David
- 5
Perfect! Tanuki is just the kind of teacher I'm looking for - enthusiastic, patient and encouraging. He was also keen to work out what I'm hoping to gain from the lessons, so that we both have my goals in mind for future lessons.
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D

David

Perfect! Tanuki is just the kind of teacher I'm looking for - enthusiastic, patient and encouraging. He was also keen to work out what I'm hoping to gain from the lessons, so that we both have my goals in mind for future lessons.

Tanuki's response
David is already able to express his ideas in Japanese very well, and willing to improve. I would love to help him go to the next level and grow his confidence. I really enjoyed our first session myself, too.
- Tanuki's response :
  David is already able to express his ideas in Japanese very well, and willing to improve. I would love to help him go to the next level and grow his confidence. I really enjoyed our first session myself, too.
L

Lily
- 5
Perfect! Good tutor!
Read more Read more

L

Lily

Perfect! Good tutor!
S

Saw
- 5
Perfect! Také has been really patient and helpful. Our first lesson went really well and I can’t wait to have more classes with him!
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S

Saw

Perfect! Také has been really patient and helpful. Our first lesson went really well and I can’t wait to have more classes with him!

Tanuki's response
鷹の目 can recognise Hiragana and understands what I say. I would like to bring her more confidence in order to have proper conversations.
- Tanuki's response :
  鷹の目 can recognise Hiragana and understands what I say. I would like to bring her more confidence in order to have proper conversations.
Rebecca
- 5
Perfect! Tanuki is an incredibly knowledgeable and supportive tutor. Despite my initial skepticism about online lessons, Tanuki cleared away all my doubts. Learning becomes an enjoyable experience, and every lesson with him proves to be engaging and interesting. I highly recommend Tanuki as your Japanese tutor.
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Rebecca

Perfect! Tanuki is an incredibly knowledgeable and supportive tutor. Despite my initial skepticism about online lessons, Tanuki cleared away all my doubts. Learning becomes an enjoyable experience, and every lesson with him proves to be engaging and interesting. I highly recommend Tanuki as your Japanese tutor.

Tanuki's response
Rebecca lived in Japan for a while, therefore she is able to communicate well. We can polish her speaking skill by avoiding the 'text book' style.
- Tanuki's response :
  Rebecca lived in Japan for a while, therefore she is able to communicate well. We can polish her speaking skill by avoiding the 'text book' style.
R

Robert
- 5
Perfect! Taki is an excellent tutor with a great range of the conversation and fundamentals, as well as advice on what to see when I go to Japan.
See the response from Tanuki Read more Read more

R

Robert

Perfect! Taki is an excellent tutor with a great range of the conversation and fundamentals, as well as advice on what to see when I go to Japan.

Tanuki's response
Robert is very willing and respectful. He has just started so let's see how it goes. I would love to help him develop asap!
- Tanuki's response :
  Robert is very willing and respectful. He has just started so let's see how it goes. I would love to help him develop asap!
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Recommendations

Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher

Sophie

Také is such a lovely tutor. Knowledgable and great to be around. I always look forward to our lessons and thanks to Také I’m getting more confident in Japanese speaking!
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S
Sophie
Také is such a lovely tutor. Knowledgable and great to be around. I always look forward to our lessons and thanks to Také I’m getting more confident in Japanese speaking!
F

Fei

I was learning Japanese from Tanuki for about 1 and half years during COVID. He didn’t just teach me the language but also the culture and history about Japan.
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F
Fei
I was learning Japanese from Tanuki for about 1 and half years during COVID. He didn’t just teach me the language but also the culture and history about Japan.
K

Kei

I have known Tanuki for the last 5 years and can vouch that he is a native Japanese and fully up to date on Japanese language and culture. He is a considerate and kind person.
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K
Kei
I have known Tanuki for the last 5 years and can vouch that he is a native Japanese and fully up to date on Japanese language and culture. He is a considerate and kind person.
T

Tiffany

He’s excellent in teaching, kind and has great sense of humor!
I enjoyed the lesson and will definitely take another lesson soon.
Read more

T
Tiffany
He’s excellent in teaching, kind and has great sense of humor!
I enjoyed the lesson and will definitely take another lesson soon.
View more recommendations

Rates

Price

Pack prices

5h: $433
10h: $866

online

$87/h

travel fee

+ $15

Learn more about Tanuki

1) Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?
Japanese is my mother tongue, as I was born and raised in Japan.
2) Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?
Ryoma Sakamoto.
He lived/worked in the late 19th century, when Japan had a big pressure from the Western countries to open Japan.
Sakamoto represents the harmony (WA) of tradition & modernisation of our country.
3) Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?
七転び八起き。
This is the Japanese proverb to say 'Fall 7 times, Rise 8'. It is my life philosophy.
4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?
The language is complex yet unique with 3 alphabets.
Speaking of 2, it is a harmony of traditional & modern, using Kanji (imported from China), Hiragana (originated in Japan) and Katakana (to describe the Western imports).
5) What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?
It can be overwhelming due to 4.
A lot of international learners find it hard for the first few lessons as it might be too much information.
However, I always tell them to relax, try not to be a master of the language in one day.
Learning language is like taking 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. It is always ok to make mistakes, forget something as those are part of your improvement.
6) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.
I remember I enjoyed 漢字ドリル。
It is a notebook/template to practice all sorts of Kanji.
You can repeat writing Kanji-s all the way through the pages.
By doing so, not only could I remember how to write them but also I could discover how each character was artistically formed (e.g. Bird, River & Mountain etc).
7) How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?
When I travelled to Hong Kong, it was interesting to discover the difference between how we use/spell all the Kanji-s.
They were different but I could still understand what they write about :)
8) What makes you a Superprof in language?
Teaching Japanese is not only helping people speak, write and listen, but also I am representing the Japanese culture and tradition, or any small things in Japan that my students would never know without me.

Fashion stylist and author of An Obsession Made In Japan. MA Design History graduate from the Royal College of Art. BA Politics at Keio University (慶應義塾大学). Formerly at Takarajimasha (宝島社) & Monocle.

Lesson location

Ambassador

About Tanuki

About the lesson

Review

Recommendations

Rates

Price

Pack prices

online

travel fee

Learn more about Tanuki

Learn more about Tanuki

1) Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

2) Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

3) Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?

5) What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

6) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

7) How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

8) What makes you a Superprof in language?

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