Japanese Language and Culture Workshops

Japanese Language and Culture Workshops

This introductory programme introduces the basics of the Japanese language together with cultural knowledge useful for travelling, working and personal enrichment.

Designed for learners with no prior background in the Japanese language, this session equips participants with common greetings and everyday expressions used in daily communication.

View upcoming workshops below!

Survival Japanese for Travel & Daily Life JLPT N5 Workshop A JLPT N5 Workshop B JLPT N4 Workshop A JLPT N4 Workshop B Conversational Japanese and Culture: Introduction

Survival Japanese for Travel & Daily Life

Survival Japanese for Travel and Daily Life

Date: 12 - 26 October 2026

Schedule: 7pm to 9pm, every Monday for 3 sessions (2 hours each session)

Location: Online via Zoom

Course Fee: $218 (including GST)

Instructor: Ms Xia Bing (NUS Lecturer)

Registration Period: 3 August - 30 September 2026

Registration Details

Registration starts one month before course start. Once registration ends, no late appeals are allowed.

↓ Register by clicking the link button below ↓

Workshop Registration & Payment

Target Audience

Individuals planning a trip to Japan
Beginners with little to no prior knowledge of Japanese
Those interested in Japanese culture, food, or pop culture
Anyone who wants to acquire practical Japanese communication skills for travel

Information

Through this hands-on experience, participants will gain insight into how Japanese aesthetics value simplicity, asymmetry, and mindfulness. This intensive workshop introduces essential Japanese expressions and cultural knowledge for those planning a trip to Japan or interested in Japanese culture.

Designed for absolute beginners, this session focuses on practical communication skills that can be used immediately in real-life travel situations and daily life, such as greetings, ordering food, booking small inns, asking for directions, shipping parcels or luggage, and everyday interactions in Japan. Participants will also gain insights into important cultural etiquette and useful digital tools to support communication while traveling in Japan.

During the sessions, participants will be able to:

Pronounce basic Japanese sounds and common greetings.
Use critical survival expressions in daily travel situations.
Ask for directions and understand basic responses.
Order food and make simple requests at restaurants and shops.
Ship parcels and suitcases to airports or accommodations.
Understand important cultural etiquette such as bowing, train manners, and social norms.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

Confidently use basic Japanese expressions in travel situations.
Understand important cultural etiquette when visiting Japan.
Handle basic interactions such as ordering food, shopping, and asking for directions.
Learn practical strategies for communicating in Japan using both language skills and digital tools

Workshop Structure

Session 1: Japanese Basics & Navigating the Streets (Transportation & Directions)

Japanese Sounds and Pronunciation
Body Language and Bowing
Understanding transit IC cards such as Suica and Pasmo
Understanding station exits
Asking for Directions and Telling the Driver Your Destination When Taking a Taxi
Etiquette on Public Transportation

Session 2: Ordering Food and Drinks

Basic phrases used in restaurants
Numbers and simple requests
Different types of dining places (fast food, family restaurants, Teishoku/set-meal restaurants, Bento shops, restaurants, etc.)
How to distinguish "豚 (buta - pork)", "牛 (gyu - beef)", "鶏 (tori - chicken)", and "魚 (sakana - fish)" on menus without pictures.
How to Say Commonly Seen Japanese Dishes
Expressing allergies or food dislikes
The Bill and How to Ask for Separate Checks
Communication at Convenience Stores & Drugstores

Session 3: Using Services (Courier Services, Gas Stations) & Specific Etiquette

Introduction to services available at airports and convenience stores
Essential expressions for shipping parcels
Gas Stations: Essential vocabulary for full-service stations
Onsen (hot spring) rules and considerations regarding tattoos
Japan's waste separation culture

JLPT N5 Workshop A

Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N5 Preparation Workshop A - Language Knowledge

Date: 17 - 31 October 2026

Schedule: 1.30pm to 3.30pm, every Saturday for 3 sessions (2 hours per session)

Location: Online via Zoom

Course Fee: $174.40 (including GST)

Instructor: Ms Lai Siew Hoon (NUS Lecturer)

Registration Period: 3 August - 30 September 2026

Registration Details

Registration starts one month before course start. Once registration ends, no late appeals are allowed.

↓ Register by clicking the link button below ↓

Workshop Registration & Payment

Pre-requisites

Learners should have already completed beginner Japanese, equivalent to:
- Genki I (Lessons 1–12)
- Minna no Nihongo I (Lessons 1–25)
- Marugoto A1 & A2-1
- Self-study covering basic N5 grammar and approximately 100 kanji.

Information

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is the world's most widely recognised Japanese language qualification. These workshops prepare learners for the JLPT N5 examination through a structured review of vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening skills. Participants will become familiar with the examination format, develop effective test-taking strategies, and gain confidence through guided practice and mock examination exercises. The workshops emphasise both examination success and practical language proficiency, ensuring that learners strengthen their overall foundation in Japanese while preparing for the test.

Workshop A focuses on language knowledge (kanji, vocabulary & grammar).

Expected Outcomes:

Participants will develop greater confidence in taking the JLPT N5 examination through structured revision and extensive practice. They will be able to identify and strengthen areas for improvement before the examination and be well prepared to continue their Japanese language learning at a higher level.

Workshop Structure

Designed to be interactive and practice-driven, each session combines concise review with hands-on application, timed drills, and immediate instructor feedback.

Key Coverage Areas

Kanji & Vocabulary: High-frequency N5 Kanji and techniques to spot common distractor words.
Grammar & Particles: Essential particle rules (に, で, を, は, が) and how to avoid high-frequency mistakes.
Conjugations: Core verb and adjective transformations (e.g., Te-form, Ta-form).
Sentence Construction: Step-by-step methods for solving "Star Point" (★) ordering questions.
Exam Strategy: Time management techniques, timed practice tasks, and a targeted mini-mock examination with feedback.

JLPT N5 Workshop B

Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N5 Preparation Workshop B - Reading & Listening

Date: 7 - 21 November 2026

Schedule: 1.30pm to 3.30pm, every Saturday for 3 sessions (2 hours per session)

Location: Online

Course Fee: $174.40 (including GST)

Course Material:『JLPT 聴解 N5 ポイント＆プラクティス』 JLPT Choukai N5 Pointo & Purakutisu (ISBN: 9784883198993)

Instructor: Ms Lai Siew Hoon (NUS Lecturer)

Registration Period: 3 August - 25 October 2026

Registration Details

Registration starts one month before course start. Once registration ends, no late appeals are allowed.

↓ Register by clicking the link button below ↓

Workshop Registration & Payment

Pre-requisites

Learners should have already completed beginner Japanese, equivalent to:
- Genki I (Lessons 1–12)
- Minna no Nihongo I (Lessons 1–25)
- Marugoto A1 & A2-1
- Self-study covering basic N5 grammar and approximately 100 kanji.

Information

Workshop B focuses on reading and listening.

Expected Outcomes:

Workshop Structure

This 6-hour prep workshop focuses on time management and test-taking strategies for the reading and listening sections of the JLPT N5. Learners will practice extracting key information from written texts and identifying common traps in spoken Japanese audio.

The workshop adopts an interactive and practice-oriented approach. Each lesson includes reading comprehension, guided practice, examination-style exercises, listening activities, and immediate feedback. Participants will also complete timed practice tasks to build familiarity with the pace and format of the actual JLPT examination.

Key Coverage Areas

Reading Comprehension: Skimming and scanning short and mid-length passages.
Information Retrieval: Reading informational materials (notices, schedules, signs).
Task-Based Listening: Identifying actions, order of events, and key details.
Listening Comprehension: Recognizing listening distractors and last-minute plan changes in audio.

JLPT N4 Workshop A

Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N4 Preparation Workshop A - Language Knowledge

Date: 17 - 31 October 2026

Schedule: 10am to 12pm, every Saturday for 3 sessions (2 hours per session)

Location: Online via Zoom

Course Fee: $218 (including GST)

Instructor: Ms Lai Siew Hoon (NUS Lecturer)

Registration Period: 3 August - 30 September 2026

Registration Details

Registration starts one month before course start. Once registration ends, no late appeals are allowed.

↓ Register by clicking the link button below ↓

Workshop Registration & Payment

Pre-requisites

Learners should have already completed beginner Japanese and have a solid foundation equivalent to the JLPT N5 level. Specifically, they should have completed:
- Genki II (Lessons 13–23)
- Minna no Nihongo II (Lessons 26–50)
- Marugoto A2-1 & A2-2
- Self-study covering basic N4 grammar, approximately 1,500 vocabulary words, and ~300 kanji.

Information

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is the world's most widely recognised Japanese language qualification. These two workshops prepare learners for the JLPT N4 examination through a structured review of vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening skills. Participants will become familiar with the examination format, develop effective test-taking strategies, and gain confidence through guided practice and mock examination exercises. The workshops emphasise both examination success and practical language proficiency, ensuring that learners strengthen their overall foundation in Japanese while preparing for the test.

Workshop A focuses on language knowledge (kanji, vocabulary & grammar).

Expected Outcomes:

Participants will develop greater confidence in taking the JLPT N4 examination through structured revision and extensive practice. They will be able to identify and strengthen areas for improvement before the examination and be well prepared to continue their Japanese language learning at a higher level (N3).

Workshop Structure

This 6-hour prep workshop covers the foundational language elements required for the JLPT N4. It focuses on rapid recall of intermediate-beginner vocabulary, accurate kanji recognition, and understanding essential sentence structures under exam conditions.

Designed to be interactive and practice-driven, each session combines concise review with hands-on application, timed drills, and immediate instructor feedback.

Key Coverage Areas

Kanji & Vocabulary: High-frequency N4 Kanji (focusing on distinguishing similar-looking characters) and techniques to spot common vocabulary distractor words.
Grammar & Particles: Essential N4 particle rules, complex conjunctions, and how to avoid high-frequency mistakes.
Conjugations: Core verb transformations including potential, passive, causative, and conditional forms (e.g., ~ba, ~tara).
Grammar Composition: Step-by-step methods for solving "Star Point" (★) sentence-ordering questions.
Exam Strategy: Time management techniques, timed practice tasks, and a targeted mini-mock examination with feedback.

JLPT N4 Workshop B

Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N4 Preparation Workshop B - Reading & Listening

Date: 7 - 21 November 2026

Schedule: 10am to 12pm, every Saturday for 3 sessions (2 hours per session)

Location: Online

Course Fee: $218 (including GST)

Course Material: 『JLPT 聴解 N4 ポイント＆プラクティス』 JLPT Choukai N4 Pointo & Purakutisu (ISBN: 9784883198740)

Instructor: Ms Lai Siew Hoon (NUS Lecturer)

Registration Period: 3 August - 25 October 2026

Registration Details

Registration starts one month before course start. Once registration ends, no late appeals are allowed.

↓ Register by clicking the link button below ↓

Workshop Registration & Payment

Pre-requisites

Learners should have already completed beginner Japanese and have a solid foundation equivalent to the JLPT N5 level. Specifically, they should have completed:
- Genki II (Lessons 13–23)
- Minna no Nihongo II (Lessons 26–50)
- Marugoto A2-1 & A2-2
- Self-study covering basic N4 grammar, approximately 1,500 vocabulary words, and ~300 kanji.

Information

Workshop B focuses on reading and listening.

Expected Outcomes:

Workshop Structure

This 6-hour prep workshop focuses on time management and test-taking strategies for the reading and listening sections of the JLPT N4. Learners will practice extracting key information from written texts and identifying common traps in spoken Japanese audio.

Key Coverage Areas

Reading Comprehension: Skimming and scanning short and mid-length passages (from the Grammar & Reading paper).
Information Retrieval: Reading informational materials (notices, schedules, signs, and simple emails).
Task-Based Listening: Identifying actions, order of events, and key details (from the Listening paper).
Listening Comprehension: Recognizing listening distractors, quick responses, and last-minute plan changes in audio.

Conversational Japanese and Culture: Introduction

Conversational Japanese and Culture: Introduction

Date: 5 - 19 December 2026

Schedule: 10am to 12pm, every Saturday for 3 sessions (2 hours each session)

Location: Online

Course Fee: $207.10 (including GST)

Instructor: Ms Lai Siew Hoon (NUS Lecturer)

Registration Period: 3 August - 22 November 2026

Registration Details

Registration starts one month before course start. Once registration ends, no late appeals are allowed.

↓ Register by clicking the link button below ↓

Workshop Registration & Payment

Target Audience

Beginners with no prior knowledge of the Japanese language
Working adults who need basic Japanese communication skills for work
Students interested in Japanese language and culture
Individuals who wish to learn a new language for personal enrichment
Learners interested in developing basic reading, writing, and conversational skills

Information

This introductory programme introduces the basics of the Japanese language together with cultural knowledge useful for travelling, working and personal enrichment. Designed for learners with no prior background in the Japanese language, this session equips participants with common greetings and everyday expressions used in daily communication. This programme focuses on conversational Japanese and does not require the use of Japanese scripts. Romanised letters (the Roman alphabet) will be used as a pronunciation guide.

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

Use common greetings and everyday expressions appropriately.
Perform basic self-introductions.
Talk about their preferences in food and drinks.
Develop awareness of Japanese cultural norms, etiquette, and social practices.

Workshop Structure

Session 1 (2 hours): Language Foundations and Greetings
Session 2 (2 hours): Self-introduction
Session 3 (2 hours): Food and Culture

Participants will gain basic conversational skills in Japanese while also developing cultural awareness and practical knowledge for communicating in Japanese in travel and everyday situations.